


I Will Catch You When You Fall

by PhoenixStar73



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec to act on behalf of Raziel, Alliance Rune (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Betrayal, Bottom Alec Lightwood, Boys In Love, Canon Divergent, Canon-Typical Violence, Characters are OOC as I see fit, Conflict, Dark Magnus Bane, Dom!Magnus, Dubious Consent, Episode: s03e20 City of Glass, F/M, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt Magnus Bane, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lucifer - Freeform, M/M, Magnus is the king of Edom, Magnus may manifest demon like behavior if in Edom, Magnus may transform into a demon if triggered by rare Edomic spells, Mind Manipulation, Multi, No promise on whether anything follows the books/tv show or not, Other, Post-Episode: s03e20 City of Glass, Prophecies, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Magnus Bane, Smut, Supportive Clary Fray, They get put through the wringer, Top Magnus Bane, but a lot of angst first, friends turned into enemies against their will, lessons in warlock magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2020-11-08 18:34:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 74,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20840108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixStar73/pseuds/PhoenixStar73
Summary: The City of Glass has fallen. Alicante, the Clave, and the Shadowhunters face its worst nightmare imaginable.Magnus comes in time to save his friends, but then he needs to make the ultimate sacrifice to do so.However, a pair of rings, and an unexpected prophecy related to Alec, send the lovers together to Edom. There they will have to face unpredictable forces as they strive to keep the rift closed.A battle for control of Edom commences, and the lovers find themselves in the crossfire as unwitting players...A 3x20/Post3x20 imagined tale (CANON DIVERGENT)UPDATED: CHAPTER 13





	1. Amidst the Chaos

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lir_Soracia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lir_Soracia/gifts).
**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alicante is in shambles. All hope seems lost, at least to the Shadowhunters, ready for one **last** stand...there stands Isabelle and Alec. For Alec, all hope had _been_ lost ever since he broke up with Magnus and killed his own heart. He has *nothing* left to lose...
> 
> Meanwhile, Magnus had everything planned out. Rings. Getting Alexander back. Along with a contingency plan in the back of his mind.
> 
> One that he _hoped_ he would not need to use...but would. If it meant keeping his loved ones safe.
> 
> Even if it meant breaking his own heart.

Before them, Alicante looked like a disaster zone. 

The idyllic blue skies and wondrous demon towers of Idris were non-existent, instead displaced by a angry red sky of fire, multiple screeching demons circling and flying insanely toward the atmosphere --

The angry firey gash that extended across the horizon -- the rift caused by Jonathon's wielding of the Morganstern sword.

Hundreds of demons had already picked off quite a few Idris citizens. 

The whole place was in chaos. 

Two lone figures stood right in front of the main building, ready to defend it. 

Not surprisingly, it was the Lightwood siblings, the Head of the New York Institute, and his no. 2, maintaining the soldier Nephilim status that everyone has come to know them for. 

Alec motioned for Izzy to stay close to him and he took several steps forward.

“We got this,” Alec stated. 

Izzy looked at him questioningly. “We…got this?” she asked hesitantly.

Alec grinned at her, and took out his bow and quiver, setting it into position.

“We’re Lightwoods,” he stated, as he pointed his 5 string bow up toward the sky. 

He hoped he had sounded as confident as he was trying to be. In actuality he was scared to death.

This was their last stand, and there was no sense in being afraid. He had to appear brave.

For Izzy. 

And it worked. 

Izzy gave her big brother a loving gaze, and smiled. 

A lifetime of sibling love and devotion.

She got out her silver serpent whip, twirled it around, and got into combat position.

Fuck Asmodeus, Alec thought bitterly. 

He aimed at the first demon that was rushing quickly toward him. 

“This is for Alicante. This is for everything I love. This is for things that I can never have, and regrets I will suffer until the end of days…” 

Magnus’s face swam in his mind’s eye, and he blinked back tears. 

Without Magnus, it’s not as if he would want to continue living anyway. 

He was going to keep his eyes open, and stare down these demons to their very end. No matter what happened…

The demons were within meters…

_AND SUDDENLY --_

**_BOOM!_ ** The sky of them vaporized in flashes of red light.

....

Shocked, Alec and Izzy whipped their heads around. 

There was Magnus, with his arms raised. 

His eyes, oh so kind, full of love, and with the mischievous look that Alec was so used to seeing.

Not with the despair or even hate Alec expected to get from him.

Alec’s heart grew so full at the sight of his exboyfriend. 

_Magnus._

Alec gasped, suddenly finding it hard to breathe, although he was not sure if it was from relief that he was SAVED, or from knowing that this could seriously compromise Magnus's retention of his magic, as per his deal with Asmodeus. 

The second had to take priority; Magnus clearly looked happy at this moment.

_He knew what he needed to do._

But he was not sure if he could survive saying goodbye to him a second time...

_Magnus..._his heart sighed. 

His eyes filled with tears.

“Sorry I’m late,” Magnus quipped. He turned to Izzy, who was beaming at him like no tomorrow. “Traffic was hell.”

Alec looked at his exlover, steeling himself for the inevitable, then turned on his heel and walked into the building.

*****

Magnus just stood there, stunned that Alec had just turned his back on him. 

His heart broke anew again, and tears threatened to come out.

He turned to Izzy, confused. "What did I do?" He asked, his voice choking toward the end. 

Alec was the one who broke up with him! 

As if he could take another heartbreak like_ that _one...

Had it been a mistake to come over here to see what could be salvaged?

The small weight in his pants pocket, which had initially been a source of joy, now felt as heavy as anything.

"Oh Magnus," Izzy whispered, opening her arms and giving him a huge hug. 

Magnus relished the feel of her arms around him. 

He had missed the Lightwoods, during these past couple of days of confusion, and being led astray by his dad, who had been trying to manipulate him to go back with him to Edom. 

"Asmodeus is dead," Magnus whispered into Izzy's shoulder. 

He felt Izzy's smile widen on her face, and she pulled away and gave Magnus a huge kiss on the cheek.

"Oh my god. You need to go to him now. He has been dying the past couple of days," Izzy continued. "My brother is a stubborn one, as you know."

Magnus sighed and turned to walk after Alec.

*********

Alec needed to get as far from Magnus as possible. 

If he stayed as far from him as possible, maybe Asmodeus would not have caught this slight.

_The deal could not be broken._

Alec needed to make sure that nothing made that happen.

He suddenly felt a familiar presence in the room, behind him. He would have known that presence, even with his eyes closed. 

_Magnus..._

_"Please,_" he choked, a tear escaping his eye, his back to him. "You need to leave. You can't be here."

"I couldn't be anywhere else," Magnus whispered. 

"You don't understand, we can never be together," Alec choked, looking at the broken cobblestones beneath his feet.

Suddenly he was whirled around, a hand grabbing his hand, to face Magnus. 

He had a loving smile on his face. "Asmodeus cannot come between us anymore," he said jovially.

Alec's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, but nothing came out. 

"I know about the deal," Magnus stated, "And it's alright. I---"

_Oh my god,_ Alec thought. _Thank the Angel._

Next thing Magnus knew, soft lips were crushed against his, the sweet, honey, soft lips so familiar with warm, that of his Alexander. 

He could taste all of that, and it felt like coming home. 

Within it, he could also taste the salt of tears, which he realized were falling from Alec's beautiful hazel eyes. 

Strong firm arms enveloped and drew him close, and Magnus did the same. 

What a sight they looked, amidst the background of demons, buildings on fire, and continual battle.

Meanwhile, Clary and Jace had run in, Jace yelling, "I saw this red blast! Then I felt the parabatai bond practically explode! We came as quickly as we could! And---" 

He stopped short at seeing the couple, locked in a tight passionate embrace. 

And Izzy smiling at him, one eyebrow raised. 

"Ohhhhh," he said.

The anxious look on his face turned into the most amazing brilliant smile, and his line of vision honed in on Alec. 

Clary knew he was about to make a beelline for his parabatai, _passionate embrace be damned..._

Clary quickly pulled him aside.

"Let's not do the interrupting thing. I know you're ecstatic for Alec. But let them have their moment," she admonished gently. 

Jace turned his heterochromic eyes on her, about to protest, which Clary shut down by kissing him. 

Jace shrugged as he returned the kiss eagerly.

Finally Magnus and Alec stepped away from one another, Alec's cheeks were rosy, and his hazel eyes glowing in ways that had been absent. 

Izzy's heart warmed. 

A crash a few yards away brought all their attention back to the present.

_The last demon tower in Alicante had just been taken down. _

_No protection was left._

All eyes widened, an unspoken fear swirled amongst the Nephilim, and one warlock.

“This is it, isn’t it,” Izzy finally said, in a small voice.

She swallowed hard, trying not to cry. 

Magnus looked at her. 

He had never seen Izzy so scared, so unlike her fabulous warrior selves. 

He looked around at all his friends, whom he had come to know and love.

Finally his eyes rested on Alec, his one and only. The one he would protect at all costs. 

And he came to a decision.

He stepped away from Alec, and walked toward the window looking out into the courtyard, where the mess of the towers lay.

“My father told me of a way I could increase my power…” he mused.

“Enough to seal the rift?” Clary asked.

Magnus nodded. “But it can only come from one place.” He hesitated. The unforgiving answer hung in the air, as if no one wanted to voice it out.

“E-edom?” Izzy stammered. 

Magnus nodded.

Alec’s eyes widened. “NO,” he pleaded. He just got Magnus back. _No, he couldn’t!_

“It’s the only way to keep you all safe,” Magnus started speaking very quickly, desperately. He was arguing, as if to convince himself that it was the right thing to do.

Which he _knew_ was the right thing to do.

However, he knew what the implications of this might be. 

Could he be selfless enough to follow through? he wondered? 

And possibly never see Alec again?

_As long as he is safe,_ his mind said. 

And then Magnus strengthened his resolve.

“It needs to be done,” he stated, his voice now devoid of emotion. 

Alec couldn’t believe what Magnus was saying. 

“No, you can’t,” Alec pleaded. He fumbled with his words. “There was something that I had to do, something I had to say—”

Magnus put his finger to Alec’s lips, stunning him into silence. 

That move, that he had cherished since his first meeting. Alec felt dizzy with desire, and could barely focus anymore.

What was Magnus saying now? he thought idly, dreamily looking at that finger.

“—needless to say,” Magnus was saying, with a serene smile and look on his face. “You forgot something in New York.”

Suddenly in his palm appeared a ring. 

OH, Alec breathed. His cheeks reddened. Behind him he heard gasps, definitely one of them being Izzy’s. 

He watched, hypnotized, as Magnus ran his hand over his palm, and a second ring appeared. 

They were like beacons of possibility, a future, glowing in soft purple light. 

_Their future._

Suddenly Magnus’s handsome face was in front of him.

And it was the only face Alec wanted to see at that moment.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood,” Magnus began, and Alec’s eyes widened. He wasn’t---

“Will you marry me?”

Jace shrieked at that moment, and Izzy and Clary turned to him in horror.

Jace looked sheepish. 

“Sorry, guys, I felt like I got electrocuted!” he stated, pointing to his parabatai rune, which was now glowing light purple. 

Then motioning to Alec silently behind his back, whose eyes were super wide, dilated, and who had the biggest smile on his face.

Both Clary and Izzy smiled and nodded tearfully in understanding. 

Jace had never seen his parabatai like that, or felt such happiness emanating from him. 

And he was thrilled.

“Ah Alec, you deserve all of this, “ he whispered softly.

Alec – he was just _mindblown_. Never mind that he did not get to do the proposing, but that this gorgeous warlock was proposing to HIM. 

Magnus wanted him – _FOREVER_. 

Alec looked into Magnus’s searching, beautiful brown glamoured eyes, and swallowed hard. 

He had never been so happy in his entire life. 

And relieved.

“Only if you will marry me too,” he whispered huskily. 

Magnus’s face remained serene and full of joy as he took one ring from his hand. 

Alec lifted his hand, with ring finger extended. He was blushing, but he did not care. 

As the ring slid onto his finger, it glowed a beautiful purple, and he trembled with happiness. 

Now it was his turn. He took the other ring from Magnus’s palm, and slid it onto Magnus’s waiting ring finger.

The ring glowed gold, a perfect complement.

A chorus of sighs came from the background. Both men had forgotten they had an audience. 

Alec’s cheeks burned even more.

The pull between the Nephilim and warlock was so strong and full of chemistry, they were practically both swaying toward each other. 

Not that they weren’t far to begin with. 

Their lips were so close, they could feel their energies melding into one another despite the space between them.

“I love you,” Alec whispered huskily.

Magnus swallowed. “I love you too, Alexander,” he whispered. 

They leaned in close for a kiss, a promise, to seal the vows. Their everlasting forever…

** _CRASH_ ** ** _! _ **

They jumped apart, Magnus looking quickly in the direction of the crash.

Dammit, Magnus thought, if it was not one thing keeping them from sealing the deal, it was always something else! 

In the distance, the last Nephilim defense had fallen. 

More demons were coming from the rift. 

Ugh, unfortunately no time to waste, Magnus thought sadly. 

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and walked a few feet away from Alec. 

With a flourish, his graceful arms threw up a glowing portal in the ceiling of the sky. It would only be open for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, he had also managed to freeze time so he could say goodbye to his friends.

_And Alec. _

This would expend so much magic, he would be passed out for days after he reached Edom. But as long as his friends were safe…

“It’s only Edom,” Alec suddenly interrupted his thoughts. “You always come back.” 

Alec said the first things that came to mind, and was kicking himself. What a clicheish choice of words, he reprimanded himself. 

Was that the thing he should be telling his fiancé, when it was the last thing his fiancé would hear from him for awhile? 

_Man, Alec…_

He suddenly focused directly on Magnus, and his response. 

Did Magnus just shake his head -- _NO? _

_WHAT?!_

Magnus looked at Alec, and attempted to smile, but his sad eyes betrayed him.

Alec's brain imploded, along with sudden hot tears that exploded past the back of his eyes onto his cheeks.

“Nooooo…” Alec moaned. 

A soft high pitched sound filled the air, slowly getting louder. _‘_

_NO! _ His head was spinning, as he felt his heart tear in two.

His heart was screaming.

_He felt himself collapsing..._

Meanwhile, Jace’s eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and he had collapsed without a word.

Clary and Izzy ran to him. “Jace!” Clary yelled, tending to her love.

Magnus, who had been shaken and fixated by the sight of Alec growing hysterical, had not been able to completely portal out of Alicante. Instead, an odd force had kept him from doing so. 

Suddenly had the most painful high frequency sound in his head. 

He suddenly crouched down, put both hands over his ears and shut his eyes..

_“Arghhhhhh!!!" _he yelled in agony.

“The rings!!! They're glowing!!!” Izzy screamed.

The auras from both rings had been growing exponentially.

Now they were each bathing both individuals, now floating in mid-air, within their respective purple and gold hue of light.

Alec was out cold, Magnus appeared in a trance, his warlock eyes blazing, unfocused.

A sudden shrill scream made Izzy jump. 

It was Clary, holding her head with both hands. 

“Oh my god...it hurts, it hurts!” she screamed with her eyes shut. In front of her, a gold and sparkly vision was forming. 

As if willed to do so, her eyes suddenly flashed open, gold as the angel. The gold and sparkly vision became a rune she’s never seen before.

“By the Angel,” she murmured. 

Purple and gold auras suddenly intensified, both beams hitting the ant vision of the rune. 

A bright white blinding light exploded. 

When the light faded, there were four Nephilim and one warlock face down on the ground amongst the broken cobblestones, all knocked out cold. 

Meanwhile ---

Beyond the window into the courtyard, the scene had stood still, frozen. 


	2. The Prophecy of the Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone eventually regains consciousness. They are told of a prophecy, sent in visions through Clary, which changes everything.

Magnus was the first one to get up amidst the carnage.

_Arghhhhh, my head!!!! _Magnus’s first thought came, as his eyes opened, wincing at the pain.

He blinked, adjusting to the scene as he slowly sat up from the ground. Wow that had been some blow! 

He looked around. The four Shadowhunters were all still face down on the ground, unconscious.

Concerned, he quickly checked everyone for a pulse, of course with his fiance’s first. A good, strong beat. He breathed a sigh of relief, they were all alive and ok.

Bring unconscious wasn't a problem, as Magnus could spell them awake.

Bewildered, he surveyed the scene before him, the toppled stone structures of Idris before him, framed by Edomic red fires, all frozen. Alicante seemed to be in a state of flux. There were two beams that were frozen halfway in their descent to the ground. There were demons right by the rift in the sky, very far away, thankfully, but frozen in their positions.

The whole scene looked like a big hot mess, not unlike Edom itself. Hm, it seemed like the spell he had cast had held up. So weird, since it should have inactivated itself 10 minutes after he had thrown that portal.

And ugh, he thought, they still had that problem with closing the rift.

He gazed up at the ugly tear in the sky, which that stupid, stupid Jonathan boy had caused with the Morgenstern sword. 

Anyway, he had done what he does best, voluntarily saved everyone else at behest to himself, and tried to portal out. 

He still didn’t get how his portal failed. Was Edom just not accepting inter-plane travel right now due to the chaos? 

And that noise that appeared suddenly in his ears. It had been a screech so ungodly and not of this Earth, he could not take it. 

For some reason his magic had failed him. Which had _never _happened, ever. 

Well, unless his father had put a conditional spell on the magic he had “returned” to him that fateful day. 

His father had not elaborated upon the details; nor had Magnus even contemplated that there would be limitations to his ‘returned’ magic. Anyway, of course there was no way he could ever find out, now that he had banished Asmodeus to limbo. 

He shook his head. 

Anyway, he would rather not dwell on another harrowing memory, especially one that involved that forced breakup Alexander had to endure, and which had pretty much killed Magnus’s heart and soul. 

No, there was no way he would ever survive something like that again. 

He looked at the ring on his fourth finger, which has a faint gold shimmer. 

_He had proposed! _To Alexander. He still couldn't believe it. 

He could imagine that the rest probably thought he was a lunatic, proposing as the world crumbled around them, as demons threatened to fly in and attack them. But Alec had bit his lip in that adorable way he does, with his eyes filling up with tears and a look of love, and he knew he had made the right decision. 

He just could not leave without the love of his life knowing that he forgave him and wanted to be with him forever.

And so he had brought the ring, and in making its duplicate, he had put a protection spell on both with its own respective colors. Alec’s in purple, Magnus’s in gold.

When they both finally had their rings on, Magnus could feel their bond solidifying as they looked at one another. 

But, ugh, leave it to cruel fate for them to not be able to seal the deal with a kiss, as the last of the main towers fell...

It was hard to discern what happened next.

With a heavy heart, he had opened up a portal, Alec had tried to stay positive, but Magnus had faltered, not being able to lie to him about ever being able to make it back from Edom this time.

Alec had seen it.

He knew, because Alec had become inconsolable.

He started to see Alec break down, but then quickly turned so he would not start crying himself.

Next thing he knew, something had kept him from being able to portal. Then a high pitched frequency sound had taken hold in his head, making him pass out..._it was all quite confusing._

"M-Magnus?" a hesitant voice murmured.

Magnus's heart leapt.

His soul would know that voice anywhere.

"Alexander!" Magnus said happily, running to his fiance, who had started to regain consciousness.

He grabbed his hand.

At that, Alec started sobbing uncontrollably. "I thought you were going to leave me," he cried, now clutching at Magnus's hand so tightly that Magnus winced.

Wow he would have taken the separation extremely hard, he thought, concerned.

"I'm here, Alexander. I didn't leave, fiance. I'm still here," he reassured him.

That seemed to calm Alexander down.

He wiped at his eyes roughly with his hand, and then opened up his big hazel eyes to look at Magnus.

"Wow, your hair's down, that's rare" Alec said slowly.

Magnus snorted.

"Uh, we all just got knocked out by an unexplainable force, and you broke down like you were dying... And that's what you first notice once you wake up?" he asked incredulously, not without affection.

Alec smiled sheepishly.

Then he looked around, realizing that the others were still unconscious. "Izzy? Jace? Clary?'

"Never fear. I've got a spell for that," Magnus stated, and waved his hand in a wide circle around them.

Soon the others were yawning and stretching, as if awakened from a deep sleep. Jace, Izzy, and Clary looked around, confused and bleary-eyed.

"“Can anyone tell me what and why we were all caught in this crazy explosion? That was rough,” Izzy asked, confused.

Upon seeing Alec, she ran at him and gave him a big bear hug." You scared the crap out of me, getting that hysterical. Please never do that again, big brother," she whispered, her face buried in his chest.

Alec, overcome with emotion, only pressed his lips tightly together and nodded as he held her. He hadn't really known what came over him as well; all he remembered was seeing Magnus shake his head after he had sought reassurance that his lover would return.

Getting that “no” with the shake of the head and saddened eyes had been a slap in the face of reality. 

_And then he had immediately felt physically ill, before blacking out..._

Magnus demurred. “Don’t look at me, I was about to portal out, but I got distracted by Alec, and then that incessant sound obliterated my senses and obviously my portal.”

_"_Hey, there's something we need to talk about." Clary had gotten up. Her eyes were aglow with golden angelic light. " I received visions from the angel, just before I collapsed. And it involves you two. But especially you, Alec." She was looking at Magnus and Alec. 

"What about me?" Alec asked. 

Clary continued, her eyes still aglow," the angels sent me a vision of a battle in Edom, but there was suddenly an appearance of an quiver, bathed in blue light, soaring across the planes, searing through the red desolate scene with a bright blinding light, and hitting its target. Everything was obliterated, and the landscape was normal again.

Then in the far distance, there was an darkhaired Angel with a bow and quiver slung on his back in a lush forest, which was all glowing blue. With a light purple rune hovering about him.” 

Clary paused “I am not exactly sure what it means since the visions tend to be cryptic. But i think that was a vision of you. Angel, bow and quiver, light, and forest = wood. And I just had a vision of this rune. I believe you _need_ to go to Edom with Magnus, Alec. And there is a way for you to go and stay there --"

No," Izzy protested. "You can't leave us."

Alec did not appear shocked by Clary's revelation.

He went over to Izzy to give her a reassuring kiss on the head. 

Then he went back to Magnus, who looked shocked by what Clary had said.

He nodded.

"Vision or no vision, I agree as well," he stated, even as Magnus was furiously shaking his head.

He turned to his fiance. "I'm never leaving you again," he spoke gently. "When I thought you were leaving without me, I has a full blown panic attack and I really did feel like my heart was breaking."

He winced as he remembered the physical and emotional pain he had felt. Ugh he never wanted to feel that again.

"So, right. Totally never leaving you again, fiance," he said lovingly, turning Magnus's face to look at him.

Once Magnus looked into those warm hazel eyes, he was lost. I

t would be nice to not suffer all that time in Edom on his own, he thought. 

"Your rings were glowing too as you screamed. First Alec's, then Magnus's," Izzy observed. 

Magnus looked thoughtful ."I did put a protection spell on these rings," he said thoughtfully, looking at Alec. "It sounds like the rings were protecting you, Alexander. I just never thought they would interpret things this way..."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked curiously.

"You said you panicked as you thought I was leaving you," Magnus said.

Alec nodded.

"It sounds like the ring interpreted that as you being in danger, especially as your emotional state became more unstable... My ring is supposed to glow if it picks up signals that you are in distress. This must have been why I was unable to leave you, to throw up that portal. But the high frequency noise that split my head open..."

He trailed off, unable to make any further sense of this.

"That was when the vision of the rune came," Clary interjected. "Maybe it interfered with the process."

"What rune?" Alec asked curiously. 

Suddenly Alec felt a tingle on his left hand. He looked down. A faint glow started to appear on his left hand He looked over at Magnus, who was looking at his right hand glow a faint gold. They looked at either other, half amazed, half horrified.

Clary blinked twice and then walked toward Magnus and Alec. She somehow seemed calm in spite of all the weird occurrences.

“Your hands,” she said, poking at both Alec’s and Magnus’s arms. There was now a small glowing outline of a rune on each man’s arm – Alec had the purple one, while Magnus had the gold one. “Hey, look, the colors are complementary to your rings. 

Clary motioned for both to step closer to her. They did.

She took out her stele and made a drawing motion in the air. It was a large rune, that no one had ever seen before. Everyone stared at this vision. "This was the rune in that vision. Just before we all passed out, this appeared before me. This is a temporary rune that binds souls, who then can share powers and abilities. It is like the parabatai rune, but meant to be used on those other than Shadowhunters; it is called the Alliance rune. I had a vision that I'm supposed to draw it on you two. And with this, Alec can go and survive in Edom if he shares your soul, Magnus."

Magnus looked at Alec, as realization flooded through him.

"You would be able to share my abilities, my magic even," he stated.

Alec grinned.

There was nothing more than he wanted than to share everything with Magnus. He felt so happy. 

“Let’s do this,” they both said.

Alec was totally giddy as Clary took his left hand. With her stele, she masterfully drew the rune on his left hand. It glowed purple. Alec felt warm all over. 

Clary then turned to Magnus. He eyed the stele apprehensively. “I hope it won’t burn too much. Downworlders are not meant to bear runes,” he stated evasively. Alec took his left hand and squeezed it. “If it hurts, squeeze my hand,” he said quietly.

Clary took Magnus’s right hand and positioned the stele above his right hand. As the tip of the stele touched his skin, somehow the rune drew itself. They all looked in wonder. “Wow…”

As the rune finished drawing itself, Alec suddenly felt an undeniable force pulling him to Magnus.

Simultaneously Magnus was being pulled toward Alec as well. They stopped less than a foot away.

The runes glowed simultaneously.

Magnus’s hands started glowing blue. He looked over at Alec.

“Alec, your hands!” he yelled excitedly.

Alec looked down. Lo and behold, his fingertips were swirling with Magnus’s magic.

He also started feeling very warm all over, as if the magic, along with Magnus’s very essence and love, was flowing through his veins throughout.

“Alec,” Magnus stated, unable to look away.

”You are a vision. And this is possibly the hottest thing I have ever seen or experienced in my centuries of life. Too bad this is an inopportune time for me to follow through with this...”

He gave Alec a look, and Alec choked, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

“Uh, guys??” Izzy started, snapping her fingers at both of them several times in order to bring them back to the present. They both looked at her blankly. Clary and Jace were smirking.

Magnus sighed.

“Okay, let’s do this portal again,” Magnus said jovially, giving Alec a tender look.

“Hopefully there’s no other explosions, or head busting headaches, or surprises. I don’t like surprises.”

His eyes looked Alec over with a laviscious look.

_Well you know what surprises I like_, his look said. 

Alec swooned. 

His eyes teared up as he realized that they were going to leave everyone, and his heart hurt.

But they were also tears of joy, as he knew he would get to be with the man he loved.

_"Sniff, sniff…gasp. Sniffle…"_

They turned toward the sounds, confused. Jace was now full out crying, his nose all red and runny.

“Guys. Alec,” he gasped, throughout his tears. “You need to stop doing that. I can't take much more of this, too many emotions going on today." 

He pointed to his parabatai rune, which was glowing.

He sniffled again.

"This shouldn't make you this happy, Alec."

Alec turned to him.

Jace had been quiet up until this point. "I'm feeling happiness flood through the parabatai rune right now. But that can't be, right?" His tone was angry, but his eyes and underlying tone revealed a sense of desperation.

He did not want to lose his parabatai.

Magnus looked at Alec, his brown eyes holding an empathetic gaze.

Go to him, he needs you, he thought.

Alec knew exactly what to do.

He walked over to Jace, and gave him a big bear hug.

“I love you, Jace,” he said softly.

“We will be okay, don’t worry. In Edom you won’t be able to feel me as much, but as long as I am with Magnus, I will be alright.”

Jace nodded as he hugged his parabatai right back. 

Then he straightened himself out and huffed, “Well anyway, those were partially happy tears, by the way. I am always happy when you are happy, Alec.”

“I know that,” Alec said softly. They stepped apart but held each other by the arms, and recited the Parabatai oath.

_“Entreat me not to leave thee,_

_Or return from following after thee—_

_For whither thou goest, I will go,_

_And where thou lodgest, I will lodge._

_Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God._

_Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried._

_The Angel do so to me, and more also,_

_If aught but death part thee and me.”_

There was not a dry eye amongst everyone as they finished their oath. 

Alec took a deep breath. Then he walked to Izzy, who threw herself into his arms.

“Be safe big brother. I know you guys will return to us at some point. If anyone can do it, it’s you two,” she whispered. He nodded, trying not to cry.

Then he turned to Clary, who had her hand out to shake. He smiled, and hugged her. She held a look of surprise, which Izzy tearfully smiled at, and she hugged Alec right back. “Thank you so much, Clary. It means the world to me to be able to go with Magnus. I will never forget this,” he whispered, his heart feeling so full.

“Just come back to us soon,” she whispered back.

He then turned to Magnus, who had been getting hugs from everyone in turn. 

Clary flew into his arms and squeezed him tightly.

“Biscuit!” he said, his voice choking, “I don’t know how I can ever repay you for this. We both can be together – because of you.” 

His eyes were shining. 

He was trembling so much, his glamour fell, revealing his golden cat eyes to her.

Clary loved it when he did this, which was not often. But she knew he can do this with her because he trusted her so much.

“Of course, Magnus,” she said softly. “You two need to be together. For now and always.”

Magnus then walked over to Alec, who was smiling at him brightly. His Alexander, who he was ready to save, to leave behind, to go to Edom. His black haired, hazel-eyed Nephilim.

His fiancé. 

They linked hands.

Their rings glowed in unison, along with the new runes on their hands. They tingled, and the two smiled again at one another. 

“Portal to Edom, take two,” Magnus quipped. Alec grinned at his incorrigible fiancé. 

Wow, it felt so amazing to say that, even in his head. 

“I believe you owe me a kiss, fiancé,” he whispered, looking into Magnus’s eyes. 

Magnus’s eyes flashed yellow, and Alec’s eyes dilated. 

He loved it when that happened. 

He leaned in and the two licked into each others mouths slowly, tracing the insides of their lips, their tongues swirling gently, hotly against once another.

For now, the whole world seemed to disappear around them. 

They then pulled away, and saw that the other 3 were just gazing at them, all with huge smiles on their faces. 

Alec’s cheeks flushed. 

Magnus grinned. “Okay then, it’s time,” he stated. 

With a flourish, the iridescent portal was opened, and the two were gone in an instant.

The three remaining Nephilim just stared at the spot where the portal had been. 

Suddenly the scene unfroze, and the fires were once raging again. 

It took all of them by surprise, causing them to stumble. They all got up slowly, and looked at one antoher.

Then Clary pointed up at the sky. “Look!” she exclaimed.

Wondrous, blue rays of light (magic?) started filling up the sky around the rift. 

Magnus's magic, made even stronger with Alec's strength.

Multipled by the power of Edom.

The sky around it slowly changed to blue, and they stared in amazement as the rift got smaller…smaller…until flash! with a short burst of purple and gold glittery light, the rift was gone.

A shadow of the huge rune Clary had foreseen, which was drawn on both the lovers, remained floating in the clouds.

It was truly a breathtaking sight.

The sky rained glitter, almost like sparkly fireworks, as if celebrating a victory that was well earned. Purple and gold glitter. Glittery like Magnus. 

Purple and gold... like the rings that bonded Alec and Magnus. Now in Edom. The gatekeepers. Keeping the rift closed. 

_Forever_.

_They saved us. They saved all of us, _Isabelle thought, exchanging looks with both Jace and Clary. She knew they were all thinking the same thing. They couldn't stop looking at the sky, as glitter rained down on them.

The sky above Alicante was as it was, before the rift occurred. One would have even thought that nothing had ever happened. Or even changed.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Two of their beloved were now gone, in Edom, and who knew when or if they would ever return. 

They stared out at the ruins that was now Alicante; at least there were no demons now.

Cities could be rebuilt. 

_Somehow Isabelle could not give a damn at that moment about Alicante. _

_Big brother,_ she thought, her heart breaking.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she sank to the ground, sobbing her heart out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think of my Fix-It for 3x20? Comment below! :)
> 
> Chapter 3 (the start of Season 4 AU) to follow soon. Malecs adventures upon entering Edom...


	3. The Gatekeepers of Edom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec enter Edom as the new Gatekeepers. Magnus closes the rift, Alec tests his magic out, and then they go in search of Asmodeus's castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you ["soracia"](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soracia/pseuds/soracia) and ["bengi"]() for assisting with proofreading and feedback. I love you both.

It looked like a typical day in Edom, that is, if the differentiation of day and night actually existed in Edom. Across the horizon, it was the same desolate red sands and dusty air, fiery red sky, and regular demons shrieking and tearing through the clouds above.

Except that today had already seen **two events,** caused by two beings _not_ of this world.

_Nuisances _\-- as Edom normally does not consider change in its balance of is environment to be any good thing.

Well actually, make that one _not_ of this world. The other one could be seen as the _prodigal prince_, returning to his _rightful_ place - except that he had not done so willingly. Edom could feel his _resistance_, as feral as that other time when he had returned for a visit.

The **first event** today was their entering the atmosphere. And then the prodigal prince had exerted his magic, which Edom had recognized as staking his claim as the Protector of the Realm, def still ranking higher than even the Queen of Demons, Lilith. Edom could feel her displeasure but there was nothing she, currently injured indefinitely due to an incident with the Mark of Cain, could do against someone of imperial lineage.

And now emerged the **second event**: A swirling purple and gold vortex hanging in the middle of such sky. As it swirled open, two figures dressed in black emerged – a warlock bathed in blue magic, the Shadowhunter, without. The one without the aura of magic appeared to be dropping at a faster velocity than the other toward the ground. 

“Holy shit!!!” that individual shrieked, flailing his arms helplessly. 

Two things happened simultaneously: a glowing gold lasso shot out from the warlock’s hand toward the one dropping like a dead weight. Also, the falling individual was suddenly enveloped within his own glowing blue aura of magic, halting his rapid descent. 

Both ended up gently landing upon the coarse red sands. Magnus grinned at Alec as he stood up, dusting off his clothing. “My, that was a close one,” he stated. 

Alec groaned. “Yea, you’re telling me. _Too_ close. Gave me the scare of my life,” he said sheepishly, a little embarrassed at his outburst upon entering the atmosphere. “Well, good thing to know that the protection spell of the rings work,” he stated, referencing the gold lasso that came from Magnus’s ring.

“Your innate magic still needs to get used to you, Alec. But it appears it finally did, after two tries.” Magnus stated. 

The first try was their initial entrance into Edom just a short while ago; Alec’s magic had not worked, and he had fallen a few feet. But the power of the rings had stabilized him and kept him from tumbling further and hitting the rocks lined along the plain. Then Magnus had spent time -- a considerably short time, as compared to that time when they had to close the rift in New York – closing the rift between Edom and Alicante. 

An awestruck Alec had watched a master at work, while holding Magnus's hand to give him strength. Magnus then proceeded to weave oddly glittery purple and gold (normally his magic was usually blue or red! Maybe a temporarily side effect of their wearing their rings!) magic over the tear between the worlds. Alec had idly wondered if it was raining glitter on the Alicante side as well. Upon watching the opening slowly close up, and marveling at the power exuded by Magnus and his magic, he had experienced deep sadness as tears sprung into his eyes. He had left everyone whom he held dear -- his sister, his parabatai, and his other loved ones behind. But then he had turned to look at Magnus – seeing what he had almost lost – and was again happy that he had come along. 

Magnus was definitely _much_ more powerful here. Seeing him in action was just was just spellbinding. And then, finally Alec had started to feel the buzzing under his skin, like a live wire. It had unnerved him, and then he was excited.

Magnus's increased power was also evident when, after closing the rift, he did not even collapse, and had even insisted that they try to portal again short distance from within Edom, just to test it out.

_And then Alec had almost fallen out of the sky…!!_

“Yea, as long as we don’t test it out this way again. I don’t care to drop out of the sky and then discover there’s no safety net,” Alec stated dryly. “Aren’t portals usually closer to the ground?” Magnus laughed. “Yes, but in Edom they sometimes come out a bit unpredictable.” Alec snorted at that. “You just need to know how to anticipate that with your magic.”

“No worries, Alexander, first order of business after we get to our humble adobe are magic lessons.”

“Magic lessons?” Alec stated, raising an eyebrow.

“Why yes, Alexander,” Magnus stated proudly. “Warlock magic 101. I’m going to teach you how to be a warlock, now that you have my magic running through your veins.” Alec smiled at Magnus’s enthusiasm – his eyes were twinkling with intrigue. He knew that Magnus was excited at Alec being able to share his magic; in fact, it would bond them even closer than ever before. “Actually.” Magnus mused, “it really shouldn’t be that hard, since my magic already knows you. But experiencing it secondhand compared to having it thrive through your veins are two entirely different things. But I don’t need to tell you that, I’m sure you already feel it, right? To see it emerge, just will it so.”

Alec nodded. The buzzing energy just beneath his skin had increased, tickling and warming him in the best way possible. It was pretty amazing actually. He could feel the sensations throughout his entire being. He held both his arms out and concentrated inwardly, willing the magic to come out to play. He closed his eyes for a second as he started feeling the initial sparks catching fire within his gut. Like tendrils, they seemed to come together all at once within the center of his being, and then they spread out to his limbs. As the tendrils traveled to the ends of his fingers, he opened his eyes. The sight before him made him gasp in awe. Somehow the desolate atmosphere suddenly looked much brighter, the fiery red sky was aflame with the most amazing looking landscape ever. But his gaze was transfixed by the sight of his hands. Both hands had translucent bright, soft blue violet ribbons of magic emerging from both fingers, in fact they had extended all around him, appearing to dance around him as they moved to and away from his body. As this enveloped him, he felt an overwhelming feeling of being safe and loved.

“Alexander,” Magnus suddenly said, “Your eyes…Wow, I hadn’t anticipated this.” He stepped closer to look at them.

“Eh? What about my eyes?” Alec asked, curiously.

“You have gold cat eyes, Alexander,” Magnus stated, staring at them in awe. “Most likely a side effect of sharing my magic. Does Edom appear brighter to you now than prior to activating the magic?’

“Why, yes it does,” Alec said. “I noticed that right away after activating it.” So, he had cat eyes, eh? He wished he had a mirror so he could see_. Cat eyes._ The thought of them made him feel warm. It was just another way to feel close to Magnus – he totally went wild whenever Magnus dropped his glamour. He looked over at Magnus, who still had his glamoured brown eyes on display.

“Good thing you still have your glamour on,” Alec murmured, reaching out to trace a finger along Magnus’s jawline. “You know how your eyes drive me wild. Imagine if you always had your cat eyes on display, I probably would want to jump you all the time. Rowr,” he growled playfully.

“Is that a proposition, Alexander?” Magnus asked teasingly, dropping his glamour just then, to test the waters.

Alec felt arousal build up in his gut. “You’re terrible!” he exclaimed, laughing. "Come here, you," he murmured, his tone suddenly an octave lower. He held up his hand just then, and -- whoosh! – Magnus’s body was suddenly flush against his – _Magnus had been drawn to him like a magnet. _ Magnus's eyes bugged out, just as Alec's did.

"Wow, Alexander, did you just do that on your own?" Magnus exclaimed.

“I must have,” Alec said slowly, still awed by what just happened. He hugged Magnus closer to him, and murmured, “I will never get tired of this -- fiancé,” testing out the new label.

Magnus shivered at Alec’s words. “Ah Alexander that just went straight down south, darling,” Magnus drawled, slowly rolling his hips toward Alec. “Do you feel how much I want you?” His mouth was close to Alec’s ear now, and he licked a hot stripe with his tongue along the edge. 

Alec giggled, sighing, “Well, it has been awhile since…” Alec trailed off, as the horrible thought hit him. It had been awhile since they had made love…ever since that awful deal he was forced to make with Asmodeus to get Magnus’s magic back, they had not had a chance to be intimate. Instead they had been forced to live separate lives – two of the most excruciating weeks ever…and Alec still did not know what Magnus had gone through after he had walked out on him in his mom’s bookstore. Actually, now that he’d had time to process things, what exactly had Magnus meant when he said that Asmodeus could no longer come between them? _How did Magnus even find out about the deal?_ And, as far as he knew, Asmodeus could not be defeated nor easily fooled, not even by his powerful son, one of the most powerful warlocks out there – which is why when Alec made the deal with him, he left as a shell of himself, knowing that once he broke up with Magnus, there was no real way out of it – and he would never truly be _himself _again.

_There was no Alec Lightwood without Magnus Bane._

Not in any world or universe of which he wanted to be part.

Ugh, so many questions…

Alec had not even noticed the swirling of Edomic sand and dust had steadily risen in both height and velocity around him while deep in thought. It almost looked like he was being surrounded by a raging tornado! He looked up, and caught Magnus looking at him questioningly, his gold cat eyes full of concern. “Is everything alright, Alexander? You seem agitated. I mean, if you don’t want to do this now, we don’t need to ---” 

“Never,” Alec said, putting on a smile and filing away his thoughts for later. “There will never be a time when I don’t want you,” he murmured, taking a finger and tracing Magnus’s jawline slowly. Magnus’s breath caught, and he smiled serenely, closing his eyes. Alec took a deep breath, feeling much calmer at seeing his fiancé so content. The whirling tornado around him had also proportionally lessened as he calmed down, although there was still a sizeable rustling going on. He would need to remember to keep his emotions more contained going forward, if it would result in things like this. 

He looked around. “Then again, it’s not as if we have any comfortable surroundings here.” He looked doubtfully at the jagged red rocks and hundreds of miles of desolate plains, stretched out in all directions. “Uh, did we even think about shelter or were you going to help conjure up some place to live –"

“Ah, we can solve that,” Magnus said, “My father’s former castle. Well, actually I guess it is ours now, isn’t it? Well, at least it’s well furnished.” He stood on tiptoe to give Alec a kiss on the nose, making Alec wrinkle his nose cutely. The sands around him had calmed, as did his mood. “I think it might be best for us to walk it, if you don’t mind, darling. When we portaled here, we created quite the disturbance. But luckily no one came out to investigate. Perhaps it was less eventful than I expected. Thank goodness. I did not feel like engaging in battles right at the moment we arrived here.” Alec’s eyes widened at the implication behind Magnus’s words, and Magnus chuckled. “Well, of course I did not want them to know that we are bonded and that you have magic. The element of surprise is a strength we have at the moment, I would like to keep that in reserve until at least you learn how to control and exert your powers.”

Alec nodded, that did make sense. He did not mind walking. Now that he was not in any danger to be poisoned by Edom, he was actually quite curious about the place. So far it just seemed like red sands and dusty atmosphere, with the occasional demon shrieking about. Now that he was a little more used to it, he was not jumping and forming a fighting stance while readying his bow and quiver every time a shriek filled the air. It was like someone blowing a bullhorn every 15 minutes or so – when it got really crazy. The first few times Magnus had noticed this little quirk of Alec's -- Shadowhunter force of habit-- and had chuckled. "Oh, after a while, you won't even notice them, it's commonplace down here," he stated. "Also, as long as you're with me, there shouldn't be any problems."

Alec nodded. They kept walking toward the castle, past vast terrains of desolation, rocks and interesting plants and trees native to Edomic climate -- as Magnus explained. There was a set of mountains in the distance, and then beyond it, a majestic looking castle with towers. It was actually a much longer walk than Alec had anticipated, but maybe due to the magic, he barely felt it at all. It felt like he was gliding as he walked, which was a new experience to him altogether. Or perhaps it was due to Magnus talking about each plant, tree, and various terrain found in Edom as they passed them by, as well as how they came to be in Edom -- his fiancé’s vast knowledge, acquired over centuries, had always astounded him. As usual, he could listen to him for hours, especially in that sexy melodious tone of voice that he possessed.

As they got within a mile of the castle, the whole structure seemed to glow fiery red, which illuminated the horizon in the distance. It looked impressive, displaying three to four high towers, a set of double iron doors, and a moat surrounding the castle.

Magnus felt a familiar sharp zap of electric impulses down his spine as he walked closer to the region. He shuddered. He recalled the last time he was here -- back when he was asking for Asmodeus's help to save Jace from the Owl, he had experienced them. Even though he had only been a visitor back then, Edom had recognized him, his imperial line, stemming from his father Asmodeus..

But now that his father was dead, Edom _recognized _him as the next in line. The impulses were potentiated and stronger now, and traveled from his spine throughout his body like electrical signals. Edom was without a ruler now, and he could feel the atmosphere being slightly unstable. It _wanted_ someone on the throne, mainly _him_. It was not really a big thing, he reasoned to himself. He was strong enough to resist the calling, so to speak, even though it would end up taking a considerate amount of energy out of him from time to time. He remembered his father’s chilling words, right before Magnus had knocked him unconscious, and sent him into limbo forever: “Our blood is imperial. I’m a royal, you’re a royal. There are few that can equal or surpass us. Only the others with imperial blood. But they have other planes to govern. Edom is _ours_.”

He had to be mindful to keep his priorities straight. He – _He and Alec_ \-- needed to keep the rift closed, and he needed to teach Alec how to harness his magic.

Thankfully Alec would not feel the zaps that were afflicting him. He was not a creature of Edom. Also, he was linked by the rune and rings only, not by blood. He really did not see the point of bringing this minor detail up and worrying Alec. Alec had enough to deal with today already. He just really wanted to get to the castle so that Alec could rest. Having magic in your veins for the first time could be exhausting for those who have never had it before. He himself was getting a bit dizzy from being so close to the castle, which seemed to be speaking to him. _"Come home son, this is where you belong... Come home,"_ in an urgent whisper only available to him. It was almost hypnotic.

He felt his glamour drop as he was drawn into the mystic of it all...

Alec stared at the castle looming before them just down the plain. He gasped. "Is that it?" Even from where he stood, which was now less than a mile away, the castle towered over them impressively, its omnipresence pervading the atmosphere. The land beneath their feet started rumbling, slightly... Then more consistently. Above them, black and red clouds with fiery orange, yellow, and red lighting and mini explosions formed. Even the castle seemed to develop its own aura, red and black, and ominous sounds filled the air. Alec felt the beginnings of fear form in his gut, with the magic beneath his skin suddenly buzzing with intensity.

Suddenly, without warning, red streaks burst out from the castle, encircling his arms, propelling him forward unexpectedly. He gasped, _“Magnus!”_ as he jolted forward violently, his head thrown back roughly, flying through the air.

_What ---??!_

"Alexander! " Magnus screamed, snapping out from his trance. _What in the name of Lilith --!_ He watched in horror as Alec flew through the air_, surrounded by red magic. From the castle?!_ Simultaneously gold streaks of magic shot from his ring, but they fell short, as the action was way too unexpected, and Alec crashed in a heap in the distance, his body still surrounded by the red magic.

Alarmed, Magnus quickly ran to him, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He quickly used his magic to scan his whole body. He breathed a sigh of relief. Alec seemed unharmed, but he was also unconscious at the moment. The red aura was still surrounding him. Magnus felt his hand vibrate and he looked down at it. The rune was flickering. And so was Alec's. But what the hell? He was not sure what to make out of all of this. 

Then he noticed the raging environment around the castle, and the shaking of the ground, of which he had been oblivious since the calling of the castle had completely distracted him. Now he felt it all...and he knew exactly what was causing it.

The castle -- and Edom -- had sensed Alec's Nephilim energy, and was steadfastly _opposed _to it. And yet -- the raging of the storm had suggested that there was a bit of uncertainty as well. Magnus surmised that perhaps the castle also sensed the bond and it was something had never even existed before, in all the time that Edom had existed. Thus, it caused such a clash, bringing out such extreme forces of nature, attempting to reconcile it all. But was that even possible, to reconcile it?

Well, regardless of whatever issues the castle might be having, both he _and_ Alec needed to get in that castle, for shelter and to keep themselves shielded from the other entities in Edom for the time being…

_You have the power,_ something in his head suddenly said, and started reverberating through his mind and soul. What was that? Magnus thought, alarmed. It had made him jump. _He is an interesting being, this one. Edom has never seen the likes of him. He does not share your blood since he is Nephilim, but he willingly shares your energies, and your potential. The castle will accept him if you vouch for him_.”

Magnus was surprised. During his visit last time, the castle had never spoken to him.

_Communication was mainly with your father in the past, youngling. But since he’s been MIA, and not even trackable, now you are the most powerful being with the magic and bloodline. Thus, I respond to you. You are next in line for the imperial throne. _

But I don’t want it_, _Magnus wanted to protest. Then he paused. It might be better to not say anything yet. It might be nice for this castle to be accommodating to both him and Alec, at least during this initial part of the stay, as Alec became more familiar with his magic and the terrain that made up Edom.

_I vouch for him, the Nephilim Alexander,_ Magnus thought.

_Ok then. He will wake up shortly then, your Imperialness._

Magnus made a face at the title but breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank you._

_The throne room and lair area are ready for you…as are the depravity and conjugal chambers. Exactly how your father liked them. It’s safe to assume you have similar tastes as him?_

Hmm what tastes did his father have? Despite his hatred for his father, Magnus had to admit that his curiosity was piqued.

Suddenly, Magnus’s head was assaulted with visions – succubi with huge breasts and hourglass figures, incubus, demons, other deformed lesser creatures, all with long tongues, some with extra appendages, and then, of course, Asmodeus -- in all types of positions. In cages, on pillows, in beds, sometimes on the floor, or standing along the walls. Top, bottom, oral, fucking with fingers, licking openings with mouths, bent over screaming and depraved, shrieking as others plunged into them. Sometimes Asmodeus would be watching, actually most of the time as copulation was happening. Beings were chained to the wall while sitting on the throne, or Asmodeus sitting and being serviced by those he ordered, directing the action while whips, handcuffs, collars, and other toys were being used with him – such visions flooded Magnus’s mind.

Ick, Magnus thought in disgust, even as he felt himself start to get hard from the imagery in his head. _Damn these physiological reactions,_ he muttered. _Sometimes they were such an inconvenience! _

Especially those visions with his father _on _the throne_ \--_ having his way with everyone, those images _could not_ be unseen.

**Dammit. So there was no restraint? Was no place sacred for this depravity? Especially the damn throne room...**

He made a mental note to never set foot in that room.

_Actually, all has been purged since there is a new being on the throne – you. So, all the things are brand new, feel free to customize to your own liking._

Just then Alec stirred, a moan coming out from his mouth. Magnus went to him, kneeling down to speak with him. “Alec, are you okay?” he asked. “You were knocked out for a while.”

“W-what happened?” Alec muttered, rubbing the back of his head. There was a bump on his head but no pain. Hm, guess he could thank his magic for that.

"You were inadvertently subjected to trials, albeit a small one, since you are an outsider," Magnus explained. "All good now though!" he added cheerfully.

Alec frowned. That was a small trial? Sheesh, he thought. He wasn't sure if he could survive any larger ones. 

Magnus saw the look on his face, and stepped in to give him a peck on the cheek. "Don't worry, Alexander. When you become more familiar with your magic, more extensive situations won't be a problem. Neither will surprises, as your magic will learn to anticipate it." Alec nodded tersely, still not wholly confident that would ever happen. He still felt so incredibly out of his element. And for good reason -- Edom was the _complete_ antithesis for any Nephilim or those with angelic energy. Edom in itself would usually strive to expel Nephilim, hence the toxic environment to keep them from coming in the first place. That was its first line of defense. Alec tried not to think about it -- he was going to be here for quite a while, and he just hoped things would be okay, as long as Magnus was here with him, and taught him how to harness his magic effectively.

"I trust you," he said softly.

"Good, that's what I like to hear, Shadowhunter," Magnus said, grinning.

**********

"So here we are," Magnus stated awhile later, upon arriving at the imposing castle doors. "It's not the ideal, but this will have to do. Our first home, as betrothed." He turned to Alec and smiled lovingly, taking both his hands in his. As he did this, the rings put forth swirls of gold and purple simultaneously, making their identical runes light up, and each of their blue magic were awakened and started to weave blue ribbons around both of them. 

"How beautiful," Alec murmured. 

"So, who gets to carry _whom_ over the threshold?" Magnus joked.

Alec blushed. "Uh that hasn't even crossed my mind." Part of him was still amazed that he was even able to have this -- a potential future with this beautiful man facing him right now. The love of his life, his future husband. That's all that mattered to him. He hadn't even had time to think about all the smaller, minute things.

_For now, and always..._

"Guess I'll need to take the initiative," Magnus suddenly quipped in a teasing voice, walking toward Alec, with a look which reminded him of a lion on the prowl. Next thing Alec knew, he was scooped up, bridal style -- "Hey!!" Alec protested while laughing and flailing his arms about -- and then relaxed as a wonderful sense of security settled throughout his entire body as he was cradled comfortably in Magnus's strong, muscular arms. Not for the first time, Alec appreciated how strong Magnus could be physically at times. Especially as they were making love, there were times when Magnus would grab hold of both of Alecs wrists and held them firmly down against the mattress with just the perfect amount of finesse -- while sensuously biting, sucking, and caressing all tender parts on various parts of Alecs body, not letting Alec have control. Not that he would have been able to do so, anyway. When Magnus was in that type of mood, _no one_ could wrestle away from him. 

Alec found that incredibly _hot_. At moments he would try, only to remain helpless, which would in truth make Magnus grasp his wrists more firmly, making him thrash around...

Alec shuddered at the memory. He was getting hard, aroused again. He needed Magnus, **now**. It's been far _too_ long...

He reached up to put both arms around Magnus's neck, directing his attention to him. As Magnus gave him a loving look and soft smile, Alec pulled Magnus's head down to trace the edge of his lips with his tongue... And then he suddenly found himself breathing really hard, he blinked involuntarily, and shuddered as a blue ribbon of magic wildly shot out. Magnus, shocked, looked at him as in a daze, before he burst into laughter. His eyes lingered on his fiancé’s face, on the gorgeous cat eyes which had emerged, intensifying this whole picture of a blushing Alec -- who had just lost control of his magic in the situation. One look at the warlock, though, revealed that it was mutual; his golden cat eyes were fully out, matching his lover's, and gazing at Alec lasciviously as if he was his next meal.

"I see why you get really turned on when my cat eyes come out. You should see what you look like right now. It's taking so my self-control to not strip you and take you right _against_ this door. Fuck," Magnus whispered in Alec's ear. He felt his fiancé’s body shiver at the suggestion and his breaths quickening. "I better get you inside before I rip your clothes off and ravish you right here," Magnus muttered. "Goddamn Alec, the things you do to me." He kissed Alec quickly, hard, his tongue eagerly met by Alec's, and drew away, Alecs mouth following, lips parted, plump, his eyes half lidded now. 

The Shadowhunter was _wrecked. And his. Forever._

Magnus smiled. _My Shadowhunter, forever,_ he thought, flicking a finger toward the doors. The double doors creaked open, allowing them entrance. Magnus then felt a slightly ominous chill down his spine, along with a slight buzzing in his head. He looked down at Alec, who seemed in a daze, and oblivious. Thankful for that, Magnus shook his head slightly, and the buzzing was gone. 

Taking a deep breath, he strode into his father's castle with Alec in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/comments, suggestions? Write it in the comments!!
> 
> Chapter 4 to come. Some really good stuff coming up!


	4. The Castle Part 1: Sins Rise To the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RATING: SMUT ahead, D/s undertones, SHOCKING situations, NON-CON (implied/or not?)
> 
> Magnus and Alec enter the castle, and start exploring. It's not too long before strange things are happening, affecting them both in different ways...

Upon stepping over the threshold of the entrance, both men stopped, transfixed at the sight before them. 

Magnus was the first to break his gaze – he had been here most recently, and now he was feeling the crazy surges of electricity and sparks again down his back and it was slowly climbing toward his head, making him slightly light-headed. In fact – he felt himself start to sway just the tiniest bit -- unsteadily -- even as both feet were planted firmly on the ground, with Alec in his arms.  
  
_Welcome, your Imperialness, the castle spoke. Your throne awaits --_  
  
_Not right now, scale it back a bit!_ Magnus thought, irritated. He blinked, and the surges diminished somewhat. They were highly distracting. Also, he did not want to drop Alec. He leaned over and kissed him on the side of his head, Alec’s unruly dark locks tickling his nose and face. Alec turned to him briefly and grinned, his golden cat eyes out, as blue magic briefly surrounded the lovers with their romantic gaze directed at one another.   
  
Alec Lightwood has seen many a splendor, especially all the years he and his family have traveled to Idris. The city of Alicante, in itself, surrounded by the vast ice capped mountains, and bestowed with the beauty of Lake Lynn by the foot of this city – Alec recalls it being an absolute breathtaking sight when he first laid eyes on it as a young child. The picturesque landscape was so unlike New York City, where he had grown up all his life – Alicante looked untouchable, and regal, especially with all the demon towers that appeared to loom and shoot straight up into the sky, neverending, toward the heavens.   
  
This – in a way – was even more breathtaking, if not dizzyingly so, and in a dreamscape/nightmarish type of way. The whole interior was red and gold, with monstrous sculptures adorning the walls, and lamps lit with fires – the only light available. There seemed to be multiple floors with multiple rooms, with never-ending winding staircases leading to each. They were both standing in the middle of a huge foyer, with ceilings that were dizzyingly high --- in fact, as Alec wrenched his neck to look upwards, the ceiling were actually just clouds of red and gold mist -- one could actually see straight up into the Edomic sky, lit afire as per Alec’s warlock vision could visualize. It was amazing. 

He directed his gaze back down to survey the rest of this level – two giant spiraling staircase ran along the furthest end of the room across from them, to meet in the center, forming a veranda, serving like an entrance to another room. Framing the entrance was sculptures of naked succubi and incubus, their bodies intertwining together, along with Edomic flora and vines.  
  
Magnus’s attention was suddenly directed to what Alec was looking. “The throne room,” he mused, gazing at the red glow that seemed to bathe the entrance of the room. “Funny that it’s glowing like that,” he murmured. The electric surges had started up again up his spine and through his veins. He looked closer. Was it another trick of the light, or were the sculptures actually moving and beckoning him forward?  
  
“Eh?” Alec asked, turning to look in the direction that Magnus was looking at. He seemed confused. “What red glow? I don’t see anything,” he said plaintively. 

Alec didn’t see the red glow? Hmm…that was strange. Magnus blinked, looking again -- and the red glow was no longer visible. The sculptures were no longer moving either.  
  
“Never mind, pup, it must have been a trick of the light,” he said jovially, trying to deflect, pushing the questionable visions out of his head for now.   
  
“Now where were we?” he suddenly heard Alec murmur huskily. Magnus turned to him, his golden cat eyes blazing to meet another pair of blazing golden cat eyes. Magnus knew that voice. Alec was clearly still turned on from their kiss right outside of the castle. “Kiss me, fiancé,” Alec whispered. Magnus shivered. He loved Alec so much…  
  
Taking a deep breath, he caressed the side of Alec’s face, and lowered his lips toward Alec’s face. Their lips met, and they licked into each other’s mouths. Alec manifesting magic was still new to him, and he still marveled at how tingly it felt when they kissed. "Mmmm," Magnus murmured after they broke apart. "I seem to recall that the master bedroom is in the left upper wing. It's actually quite impressive..."

Alec nodded, his golden cat eyes dilated, pupils blown, and he hung onto Magnus's neck as if it was a lifeline. At this point he would go anywhere with him. He just wanted to keep feeling this connection with him -- especially after the last couple of weeks… 

Alec swallowed hard. Why did his mind keep coming back to this? True, it had been the absolute worst... But they were back together now, right? And engaged. Why couldn't he just let it go? Holding onto all these thoughts, it was making him feel just a tad insecure just now... He didn't know why he kept thinking it wasn't going to last...

He took a deep breath. Well he definitely needed to redirect himself and the situation. "Hmm, did you say master bedroom? Well, what are we waiting for?" Alec teased, drawling out the words in a way he knew would turn Magnus on. Alec deliberately arched his neck and back as if to stretch, and made sure to nuzzle the side of Magnus's neck and earlobe with his nose and lips. 

That certainly drew Magnus's attention to him. He looked down to see Alec gazing intensely at him from under lowered lashes, while biting his lip prettily. Magnus's eyes widened. Lilith, he's doing it on purpose! Ohhhh.....

Magnus felt a surge of arousal, which hit him directly south, seeing how pliant Alec currently was in his arms. "Like putty in my hands, Nephilim," echoed a voice in the back of his mind, accompanied with the faint screeching of demons. Suddenly Magnus felt his eyes shift -- his eyes glowed fire red, with his dick getting incredibly hard, and his hands were trembling. He noticed his heart had started beating noticeably faster as well, with his breathing becoming extra ragged. 

His eyes narrowed, with all his sense suddenly zeroing in on _how_ _firm this torso, and how firm these buttocks felt beneath his fingers, yet soft and fragile this body was --- _

…he could very easily _just crush him right here_

_Suddenly_ \--** all he cared about, all he wanted to do** \-- _was to shove this Nephilim against that wall on the far right, tear off his clothes, thrust a knee between his legs, and claw and break into the softness of the skin on his back and shoulders, while burying himself into his creamy, tight --_

"...O-Ow, Magnus, you're kinda digging into my arms with your fingers. And you were tugging at my shirt sleeve really hard, what were you trying to do, tear it off? Uhh...Magnus? Are you okay?" Alec's hesitant voice broke into Magnus's thoughts, making him jump. Uh what? Magnus's eyes, now back to brown, shocked that such a thought had entered his mind. He looked up to see a pair of concerned hazel eyes looking at him. Alec reached over with his right hand to lace his fingers with his.

"Uh, sorry, my love. I hope I didn’t hurt you ," Magnus said apologetically. His heart rate had come back down considerably, upon feeling Alec’s hand in his. Alec shook his head, and smiled impishly at him, dropping his glamour.

It seemed like Alec’s whole being was beaming at him, surrounded by soft blue light. 

Wow, he was indeed beautiful, Magnus thought, not being able to take his eyes off him.

A gentle warmth flooded through the connection of their intertwined hands, and Magnus took a deep breath. Whatever sensations he had been feeling before, had dissipated. Thankfully, he thought, a bit nervous about what had happened temporarily just before. No need to bother Alexander about that...  
  
Magnus felt a slight buzz on his left hand, which Alec had taken in his. He looked down, and noticed that his ring was glowing. He blinked, and the sounds in his ears were gone as well. 

He suddenly felt secure and safe, again. 

"Shall we? Let’s go," he said quickly, summoning a portal. He stepped through it, with Alec in his arms. 

They appeared a short time later in their target room. Alec marveled at the size of it -- it was indeed magnificent. There was a gigantic fire chandelier lavishly decorated with crystals and diamonds, right in the middle of the ceiling, flagged by four smaller fire chandeliers hanging from each corner of the ceiling, oh the edges of a mirror taking up the entirety of the ceiling. Actually the mirror seemed alive, in that the reflections was shifting slightly, not unlike that of a portal. But when Magnus focused his eyes upon the mirror, the movement stopped. Oh that was interesting, Magnus thought. The room was surrounded by red stone walls, small wall lanterns lit by fire, and large oval mirrors whose only useable function seemed to be that they were all facing the bed. Magnus guessed dear ol Dad had most likely had am exhibitionistic and voyeuristic kink – one could see themselves and the activities in the bed from another mirror on the side, along with on top.

They both stood at the foot of what looked like a humongous bed, clad in satiny red sheets and pillows. “This won’t do,” Magnus murmured, flicking his wrist, and changing the sheets to the familiar gold, like what they had back at the loft. They did not need to be reminded that Asmodeus had lain here with however many conquests or consorts over the millenia. He recalled the visions that had came to him earlier – he wishes he could unsee them, yuck! 

Something in Magnus suddenly shifts, in his gut, in his spine -- like growing embers of fire. It makes something in his brain click on. Apparently, similar things are happening to Alec. Magnus felt himself lifting his head, hos gaze being drawn to Alec, who is returning his gaze, intensely, his golden cat eyes afire. They do, however, hold some confusion in their look, simultaneously. What is happening? he asks.

The sounds in Magnus's ears and head rush all around him -- crackling fire, roaring winds, the swooshing of purple and gold glitter that suddenly burst from his fingers, making Magnus's body jerk forward --- Alec's eyes widening ---

And suddenly, both of them were on top of that bed, Magnus on top of Alec, tongue in mouth, teeth clashing together, Magnus's hands all over Alec, having gotten Alec's shirt already half undone -- one knee already slotted in between Alec's legs, and the breathing already uneven and chests heaving... 

How did they get here? Alec wondered faintly, as his mouth responded to Magnus's demanding kisses, moaning with every sensation. His body arched and thrashed as he felt the air hit skin as Magnus pulled his shirt off his shoulders and torso, simultaneously being rutted against, Magnus's ever hardening length the major indication that Magnus's lust had just gone from 0 to 60 in no time at all. Magnus hadn’t even appeared to stop to take a breath throughout all of this. He just kept pressing, pressing, pressing his weight, a long line of heat, into Alec’s body, making him sink further into the satin sheets – which were as light as air. Alec felt like he was floating on clouds, and his senses started to leave him, only keenly aware the weight of Magnus on top of him, fingers exploring and thrusting, his tongue in his mouth, becoming more and more insistent.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see them both in one of the oval mirrors, faceless figures laying on the bed, grinding and thrashing against one another. 

Directing his gaze to the ceiling, where the main mirror was, he could see himself, his clothing half off, legs spread around Magnus’s body as they kissed frantically, the back of Magnus’s head with the dark blue highlights he had been wearing since that day Alicante fell, along with the silver earcuff on his right ear. 

_Yield to him…your lover. You know you want to. Give in to your utmost desires_, a voice almost inaudible, seemed to travel along with the whoosh of sound that suddenly seemed to materialize around him.

_Yes…yes…yes,_ he thought faintly, over and over again, as sensations overcame his entire body, responding automatically and physiologically. _He felt himself, his body, his mind and soul, opening up to Magnus's touch._ He felt his pants being unzipped, unbuttoned, and pulled down his thighs and legs, albeit a bit more roughly than he was accustomed to from Magnus, but as he felt Magnus’s hands rubbing along on the material of his underwear in that area, Alec gasped, arching his back and digging in his fingers on Magnus’s back. The sensations were incredible, beyond anything he’s felt in a long time – or was this due to them having not been intimate since the break-up? Ugh don’t even think about it! Alec thought annoyed with himself in that one second. 

The sudden sensation of a hot tongue massaging his neck quickly made those feelings disappear, as Alec’s eyes rolled in the back of his head.

_Snap!_ Alec's bottom half was suddenly divested of any clothing, _Magnus must have magicked them off_ – he was now bare and naked, his hard cock hard and leaking. He rutted against against Magnus, who had apparently divested himself of all his clothing as well in the past few minutes. Magnus rolled his hips forward, and Alec moaned, precum pooling at the tip as their cocks rubbed together. Magnus’s mouth had still been attached to the side of Alec’s neck, and he was sucking, sucking, sucking while his hands flitted over Alec’s firm muscles on his torso, to drag slightly down his abdomen, and down to his thighs. 

One hand reached up to play with Alec’s nipples, rolling them in his fingers, causing a shudder, accompanied with sharp intake of breath from Alec.

Feeling a strong surge of lust suddenly ripple through his body, Alec moaned again, and wrapped both legs tightly around Magnus, as he started kissing the side of his head, his hair, his cheek, just whatever he could reach from this angle. This made Magnus stop sucking on his neck to look at him. Grinning, with that amazing golden gaze that turned him on so much, Magnus crushed his mouth onto his, tongue aggressively intertwining with Alec’s. 

Magnus felt Alec’s fingers dig into his back, and the legs wrapping around him – and the next thing he knew, Alec had flipped him on his back and was kissing him roughly. Magnus liked that very much, as his cock twitched, and he arched his back seeking more friction from Alec’s body. His initiative got him the response he sought, as Alec now pressed every inch of his body into Magnus’s, practically rocking his nether region over his hard cock, back and forth, back and forth. Magnus sucked in his teeth at the growing sensations, now his turn at digging in his nails and dragging over Alec’s muscular back. He felt Alec shudder at the trails his nails were making along his back – what a turn-on -- so delicious. 

He felt his eyes glow even more intensely as lust surged throughout his body, and he dug into the skin a bit deeper, dragging even more slowly and deliberately, his legs reaching up to wrap around Alec’s torso, squeezing so tightly as they rocked, it was about to drive Magnus insane with lust at the increased friction that action had provided. This had drawn forth a low filthy moan from Alec. 

Alec’s tongue had been relentless during this time -- kissing, biting his swollen lips, and Magnus brought one hand to the back of Alec’s neck to draw his face in closer. . Alec broke off the kiss to lick hot, wet stripes up and down his face and neck, making Magnus squirm and moan, as his eyes fell shut, savoring the immense tingles from his tongue. Suddenly Alec’s hand was gripping his cock tightly, stroking firmly from root to tip, and Magnus arched his body in response, groaning with lust.

After awhile, Magnus opened his eyes to look up at the ceiling -- as he was curious at how they looked during the act of making love. 

_That’s why these mirrors were here, right?_

Well...he definitely saw Alec’s long, lean torso on top of him. 

What he definitely did not expect to see was a red scaly being – _with a pair of very familiar, looking blazing golden cat eyes_ – staring back down at him with a comtemplative, curious expression, from within the depths of the mirror. Its long scaly appendages were wrapped around Alec’s bare torso, heaving with every moment, and its long nails were in the midst of dragging themselves over already established, deep red, bloody crevices carved into the soft skin on Alec’s back, looking like angry red welts, some of which had already crusted over. 

Magnus’s mouth fell open in shock -- and the being in the mirror had done the same, but revealing long, thin sharp yellow teeth. 

His eyes widened. _Oh Lillith!_ He shoved Alec off of him. 

Stunned at Magnus pushing him away, Alec shook his head, trying to regain focus and regulate his breathing. His concerned golden cat eyes searched Magnus’s questioningly. 

“Magnus? What’s wrong?” Alec asked hesitantly, looking searchingly into his eyes, while tracing a line down Magnus’s jawline tenderly. 

Magnus looked up at the mirror again, and checked himself in a side mirror as well, just to be safe. Funny, he just saw himself again -- no scaly red being with long thin appendages…nor were there any red bloody scratches on Alec’s back. He looked on Alec’s body to make sure, as well, while giving him small kisses trailing down his back, making Alec sigh softly as he did so. No red welts or scratches. Hmm…

He looked back into the mirror again, for five minutes more, just to convince himself of what was actually there. Damn Edomic mirrors, he thought darkly, getting very annoyed. He should have known his dad would have had installed something like this. These reflections had probably made his father look much more majestic while doing the opposite of his conquests. 

He turned back to Alec and smiled reassuringly. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine. Just thought I saw something. You, Alexander are seriously hot. You turn me on so much. Roarrr,” he exclaimed, as he pounced on Alec, now taking the top, and kissing him deeply again. Alec grinned against his lips, as they resumed their activities on the bed, laughing, grinding, and thrashing against one another. 

_Some time later…_

Alec wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed, as he was caught in the throes of passion, and Magnus’s expert ministrations with his fingers and mouth -- but soon his body was wildly arching and lurching as Magnus plunged three fingers into his already pulsating opening, its walls clenching around the intrusion as they were moved deftly, twisting in and out. 

Driving Alec absolutely crazy…

”I want you inside me,” he half-babbled into Magnus’s ear. He could barely keep his eyes open, he was so turned on and swooning. He already saw his magic spazzing around him, soft blue sheets of magic shooting out sporadically. He flushed, embarrassed.  
.   
“Thought you’d never ask,” the familiar musical voice that he loved so much, stated. The three fingers withdrew, drawing a whine out from Alec. Sttrong muscular arms surrounded him – they felt so warm. “Let’s spoon,” his breathy voice tickled Alec’s ear, as a muscular body pressed up tightly against Alec’s back, rutting his hard cock against the small of Alec’s back. 

“Mmmm…Magnus, please,” Alec whispered, trying to turn around to peck Magnus on the mouth. 

Instead, Alec suddenly feels the thick head at his opening, and the realization of that sends shivers through his spine. Hearing Magnus taking in a sharp intake of breath, suddenly Alec felt Magnus push the full length of his cock into his opening, and he gasps as he is filled up completely, his walls clenching the length firmly. He already feels the waves of blue magic emanating out from him, upon Magnus entering him. He also felt Magnus’s mouth suddenly on his neck, chomping down and sucking on his neck. Alec arched his neck and body back against Magnus, moaning as his eyes rolled back in ecstasy, adjusting his legs so Magnus could plunge in deeper. 

“You feel so good, oh Lillith,” Magnus muttered, grabbing firmer hold of Alec’s hips, as he thrust deeper. Alec, already a babbling mess from before, was reduced to consonants, as his magic flared even more about him. “Nnnth, nnnnth,” he moaned. He leaned his neck back, his head resting on Magnus’s shoulder, his wet hair, and sweat glistened body flopped and moved around as Magnus plunged into him, again, again, again, both with slow and fast strokes. He was quickly losing his senses yet again, only aware of the feeling of his walls grabbing hold of Magnus’s large cock as it moved and twisted within him == giving off the most amazing sensations…

“Hmm you seem like you’re enjoying yourself…” Hmm…that voice wasn’t Magnus’s, that was the first thought that crossed Alec’s mind. 

_And in fact, it sounded way too much…like…like ---_

_…but that was impossible…!_

“You’re correct,” the deep, amused voice continued. Suddenly the hands on his hips tightened dramatically, almost painfully so, the nails sinking _deep_ into his tender hip area, with the thrusts increasing in frequency by the minute. Alec’s eyes flew open, immediately widening as he saw his reflection in the ceiling mirror above.

Asmodeus was behind him! That leering face, that hairstyle with the undercut. Asmodeus! Magnus’s father!

But how?? and what the --- 

“Nnnth!” Alec’s eyes rolled back as he was slammed into, hitting his prostrate _dead-on_ \-- again, and again. “Nnth!”

His eyes rolled back…

“No, you’re not really here,” Alec gasped, once his senses had come back to him, even as he was in the midst of huffing and puffing again, as his body lurched with the thrusts. “I don’t believe you!!”

But Alec inwardly was really starting to have his doubts. He wanted to close his eyes tightly and forget what he just saw and heard... but somehow he just stared dumbly, up at that _damning_ reflection of Asmodeus and his leering face all up in his backside, his claws sinking into the side of his hips. He held firm and steady; Alec was unable to wrestle away. Alec’s body lurched as Asmodeus thrust again into him, seeing stars and groaning as he hit his prostrate, again, and again.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood,” that agonizingly condescending voice continued, the hateful voice and breath tickling the back of his neck and totally giving Alec the creeps, “Seriously, did you think my son succeeded in sending me into Limbo? I only made him think that he did. But yes, both of you defied me. Looks like I picked a great time to come back.” Alec couldn’t tear his gaze away, even as he winced, seeing (and _feeling_) Asmodeus’s tongue slowly unravel to massage and lick his ear. “While I can’t say this was the ideal situation…but actually I consider this the perfect revenge. I own you, mind and soul. And now I get to _have_ you. Wow, this was an unexpected turn -- _you are really good…_” 

The cackling started, and a sharp bite came down on Alec’s neck, making him scream in pain, as his eyes rolled back again with another thrust as Asmodeus snapped his hips forward. 

“You feel sooo luscious, Shadowhunter…”

Alec couldn’t stop watching the reflection as this was happening. It was like a trainwreck, he couldn’t look away, even as this continued. Was this really happening to him? It was so pathetic, he was sweaty, his hair all down and floppy, and he was being thrust into and jostled around, like some fucking worthless puppet. And by the nasty Prince of Demons, no less! Horror was already flooding his brain as his heart beat faster and faster…from fear. And he couldn’t kick him off, shit!

“Nnnth! Nnnth!” he groaned, as the Prince of Demons slammed into him again. Damn must Asmodeus always be a perfect aim at his prostate? Alec was lightheaded, swooning now…and soon he feared he would not be able to resist at all. 

No, he screamed inwardly, he would not give in. No, he would not respond to his advances, or come, no, he could not give the Prince of Demon the satisfaction of besting him! 

_No, no, no, no, no, no!_

**“No, fuck that!”** he screamed, using all his strength to finally wrench the demon’s hands off his waist, readying himself to kick backwards as hard as he could.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of the ring, in conjunction with his magic surging forward, in response to his distress. 

_Whoosh! Boom! _

Alec felt himself suddenly found himself being flung off the bed at great speed, smacking full body (Bam!) into a wall. Ugh, pain! he thought faintly for a second. He slid to the floor, as the sound of a similar action was heard, but just on the opposite wall. Next, he heard glass shattering from both sides of the room. Disoriented, he shook his head. Thank goodness for the warlock magic, Alec thought idly, having not recovered all his bearings yet. Otherwise he would have been seriously hurt by what just happened…

**“What the FUCK was that for???!**” an irate deep sounding voice roared. The castle walls trembled, violently, in its wake. 

It sent chills down Alec’s spine. But wait, that voice sounded familiar! He turned, and ---

Suddenly red magic flew fiercely through the air – and toward him! Yikes! Using his Shadowhunter reflexes, he attempted to roll away quickly. He felt his ring activate as he did so, sheathing him in a purple glow, the red magic bouncing off the edges of this. But it had only missed him by centimeters! It left a dark gaping hole in the wall right where he was standing, as if something had burned deeply into it. Whoa, that was too close! As Alec attempted to get up, he saw Magnus standing at the far end, his eyes blood-red, his hands held up in front of him and a red glow around his hands. “Don’t you fuck with me,” sneered Magnus, who seemed like he was in a trance, his red eyes glowing dangerously. “I will end you…” 

The red glow around his hands intensified, and Alec sensed that Magnus was going to strike, again. At him!!! 

“Magnus!” Alec shouted. “Stop! It’s me!”

Upon hearing Alec’s voice, Magnus’s red eyes faded, back to their normal golden cat eyes. “A-Alexander?” he ventured uncertainly, his chest heaving with effort due to his prior actions. “W-What happened.” His eyes darted quickly around, spotting the burned part of the wall. His eyes widened in realization. 

“W-Wait,” he stammered. “That was you?? You threw me against the wall?” 

Alec suddenly felt embarrassed. “Uh, you mean, I threw both of us against the wall. At the same time. Rather, my magic did,” he said awkwardly, running his fingers through his hair. 

“It did? But, oh Lillith, I nearly killed you before, when I didn’t know it was you! My magic acted to protect me!” Magnus protested, now sounding anguished. He had come so close…and he recalled at the time, he had not cared who had intitated it, he or she was going to die! But, if he had inadvertently killed Alec right then and there…

He gasped, as the thought became too much to bear. He sank to his knees, with his head down and breathing heavily. “_Oh Lillith_,” he muttered, feeling tears come to his eyes. 

Alec couldn’t bear seeing his lover so broken at the moment. Immediately he was at his side, kneeling down, and hugging him, his blue magic surrounding them, soothing them. “So sorry, so sorry, my love. Magnus. Please don’t cry. Please. I love you so much. I’m sorry you ended up in that situation. Of course your magic was trying to protect you,” Alec murmured in Magnus’s ear, bestowing small kisses into Magnus’s dark hair. Magnus was sniffling, and it was breaking Alec’s heart to hear him whimpering.

Within minutes, Magnus had calmed down. Thank goodness for Alec being here. He reveled in the warm embrace, although he was still haunted by countless visions from before, especially from that mirror (!). And he was confused what had set off Alec’s magic, which had sent them crashing into opposite ends of the room. Despite the craziness at the times and loss of control over his emotions, he had been impressed by the response of Alec’s magic, yet again in times of distress. The room looked like a bomb hit it, glass everywhere, and even one of the chandeliers in the corner had come off its hinge. _Damn_, Magnus thought.

He pulled away slightly, as Alec was still out of breath, his whole being heaving a bit more raggedly than usual. He scrutinized Alec, and immediately noticed something. “Alec?” he said, slowly, taking a finger and gingerly touching his neck – it looked like some sort of bite mark with at least 10 small holes in it, crusting over. What the hell? Magnus thought. Who bit him?

“What is this on your neck—”

“**Get the hell off me!**” Alec suddenly snapped, upon feeling fingers on his neck. He flinched and pushed Magnus away. Magnus froze, shocked. 

Alec froze, suddenly remembering where he was. He turned to Magnus. “Magnus, I’m sorry, so so sorry! For a moment, I thought…I thought…” He choked on his words, and couldn’t continue. The craziness, the awful thoughts, the images he now couldn’t unsee, with Asmodeus against his back, him not being able to pull away, Asmodeus all up in his...Ugh! Alec shut his eyes in anguish.

His hands flew to his neck. What the hell? – that bite was _there_?? But that was impossible! Just a trick of the mirror, right? As he touched the region, he winced. It hurt!~ What ---

Magnus, still shocked and hurt at Alec pushing him away, observed Alec closely. Alec was now cowering, his hazel eyes wide. Scared. Desperate. And he was looking off into space, while touching his neck where the bite mark was. He looked like he was in shock. 

Man they really needed to talk. Now.

He went over to Alec, kneeling down to where Alec was situated. “Alexander, we need to talk. There’s something up with you, and we need to figure it out. Somehow I think it’s way overdue too. Do you hear me?” he asked gently. Alec nodded, still not looking at him.

“There’s a spot that used to be my favorite childhood hideout, let’s go there. It should be calmer there. Okay?” Magnus prodded gently, putting a hand on Alec's cheek. 

Alec slowly turned to look at him.

“Okay,” he finally whispered. He allowed Magnus to help him up on his feet. Magnus quickly magicked some clothing back on both for them, at which Alec gave him a small smile. Magnus helped support Alec under one arm, as Alec was still shaky, and together they walked out of the master bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we knew they needed to talk about everything that happened.. (they never talked on the show!). unfortunately it took some craziness for them to finally get to it! That's up ahead...
> 
> Chapter 5 to come


	5. The Castle Part 2: Exorcising One's Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec finally talk, clearing the air
> 
> Then they continue to explore the rest of the castle. 
> 
> However, as usual, there are *still* some things Magnus hasn't told Alec about, things that are happening on his end and about this castle...
> 
> \-- inadvertently they seal their fate with their actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT! (best type of warning, eh?)
> 
> Also, the TALK MALEC should have had after the rescue about 3x18-3x21 business. Don't you love how the show just loves to skip over everything?

Magnus still cradled Alec under his arm as he helped him walk down one of the narrow, spiraling staircases. 

“I’m sorry we aren’t portalling there, Alexander. But I depleted a lot of magic before with the surprise attack, so I don’t have enough to make one,” Magnus apologized. 

Alec sighed. “I'm so sorry, Magnus,” he murmured, to which Magnus kissed his hair in reassurance. He felt terrible. If only he had not overreacted the way that he did, causing Magnus to react. Common sense should have told him that the images in the reflection were not real. after all, Magnus had banished Asmodeus to limbo, so there was no way he would ever be back.

And certainly not reappear the way that he had – 

_….in the worst possible situation that could have ever been envisioned! _

As if he had not been put through enough emotional pain and agony after that meeting with Vera, the conduit. To witness himself being taken advantage of by Asmodeus, of all beings, at his most vulnerable! 

_He could still feel the echoes of that bite, as the teeth had sunk into his neck... _The wound left behind a burning sensation… 

It had taken all of Alec’s mental capacity and strength to keep himself in the moment -- and aware. During those moments of horror and disbelief when he was seeing Asmodeus fuck him, he had been thisclose to _disconnecting_ – a tactic that he had formerly employed when he was young, whenever he was being punished by his parents for not rising up to expectations. He would just mentally _leave_ for a few moments, _disconnecting_ from what was going on.

He had gotten so good at this in the past, eventually none of the punishments had really affected him after that. And then he could just return to whatever he was doing, the perfect soldier. In fact, as he had gotten older, it had become harder and harder for him to feel anything emotionally. 

Or there would be times when it would hit him so hard, that he would not know what to do with all the intensified emotions. That’s when he had come by the habit of going up to the roof, and shooting his bow and quiver repeatedly until and even beyond his knuckles bleeding. As he felt his skin rip and start bleeding, then his soul would start to feel more at peace. 

_For what he was feeling right now, though_? No amount of that would help.

In making that deal with Asmodeus, Asmodeus had completely backed him into a corner, and taken his control away from him – 

….he had been rendered _helpless_, having to do the _unthinkable_ to Magnus, breaking his heart, _shattering his own soul_ while at it…it had gone against _everything_ he had believed in. It had taken away his heart, as well as his pride.

Asmodeus had just taken _everything_ away from him, leaving him _an empty shell of himself_\--

He winced, as the wound on his neck _burned _again -- reminding him that it was there. But, how? He still didn't understand...especially if Asmodeus had _only been a vision_ in the mirror.

_Ugh, he just couldn't stop thinking about it..._

“Watch your step, Alexander, we are going to go left now,” he heard Magnus say, in that melodious, caring voice of his. Alec was grateful for Magnus for taking the lead and helping him out. They stepped off the staircase, and was heading through a few interconnected rooms, of which there were cages inside, along with a lot of what looked like black leathery items hanging on the walls and ground, including whips and chains. Magnus spied them, and quickly steered Alec away from seeing them. 

He just wanted to get Alec to a more stable and secure place. The way Alec was acting just completely unnerved him. 

He was scared for Alec. He needed a calm place, where he could sit Alec down, scan him for any trauma, and then look into his eyes. Maybe Alec would then be comfortable to enough to tell him what has been happening with him. 

That’s why he had thought of his childhood hideout. 

It wasn’t much really, more like a small area within the castle that Asmodeus had allowed for him to create a ‘safe’ space for himself, as he had been concerned about his son adjusting to Edom as a young boy. 

He smiled despite himself. 

Asmodeus had not been completely horrible – just mostly horrible. There had been that 10% of the Greater Demon who had shown slight caring and had shown himself to be a father of sorts.

When Asmodeus had first brought him here, everything had scared him. Demons howling, fires bursting out like geysers, even the fire-lit skies were threatening to him. And the heat, he could not stand the heat! 

Of course his tolerance to it had grown with age, but still! Not one of his most favorite things to endure. 

In his ‘safe’ space, he had created a little green area for himself, partly illusion but you could feel the green grass between your feet, and see the gorgeous lilies that he had conjured up, partly to honor his mother, who had killed herself years ago. There was also a swinging bench, or at least that’s how he had remembered it. 

It would be perfect for both he and Alec or just Alec to swing on, and get him to calm down. 

Magnus really wanted to know what had triggered the magic defenses in him. 

Up to now, Alec had been lost in his own thoughts, only momentarily breaking out of them when Magnus had spoken to him. But now he suddenly noticed they were approaching a door, with a blue glow surrounding its edges. _Blue, like Magnus's magic..._

For some reason, he was feeling calmer already. His curiosity was piqued. 

"What's that?" he asked. 

"That's where I used to go as a kid," Magnus replied softly. "Follow me." 

Magnus gently entwined Alec's fingers in his, as he stepped forward. He placed his left palm on the center of the door. The whole door became blue. It became translucent and then disappeared, revealing a dark corridor. As Magnus led Alec down the hallway, the pathway lit up on both sides of the walls, aglow with blue lights. The space for the hideout lay straight ahead.

Alec was awed. "You built this, didn't you," he murmured, squeezing his hand. Magnus’s signature blue magic was all over this design.

“It’s a bit rudimentary, since I was 9 when I built it,” Magnus said, sounding apologetic. He glanced around as they entered the room – taking in the grassy area, still as green as he remembered, the lilies for his mother – he waved one ringed hand and more lilies appeared – and the swinging bench was there, still intact.

Thank goodness, Magnus thought.

On the bench was a worn but obviously loved stuffed gray cat toy. One of the ears were frayed. Alec’s heart tugged at his heartstrings when he saw the toy. That must have been Magnus’s when he was little, he thought.

He was inexplicably drawn to the toy and the bench. He motioned to Magnus. 

“May I?” he asked. Magnus nodded. “Do what makes you happy,” he said softly, leaning over to kiss Alec on the cheek. He watched as Alec made his way over to the bench, sat down, and took the small stuffed cat in his arms, pressing it to his cheek_. So soft!_ He then folded his long legs up to his chin as he sat sideways on the bench, lost in thought once more – still holding the toy in his arms.

This bench had looked so huge to Magnus as a young boy; now it looked very small, and especially when a tall figure like Alec was sitting on it.

Somehow it just seemed perfect that Alec was sitting on it now.

Magnus waved his hand toward the bench swing, and it started to rock, slowly, bathed in blue light. Alec looked surprised, but then a grin spread on his face, with his eyes shining. “That feels wonderful,” Alec murmured, sighing. He closed his eyes for a bit, leaning his head back against the edge of the swing. For the first time since the incident with the mirror, Alec looked very much at peace.

Magnus smiled. It had been the right decision to bring him here. He sat down on the grass, surrounded by lilies and took a deep breath. The lilies surrounding him seemed to lean in and cradle him slightly, as they have always done since he was a small child. It felt like the lightest feathery hug against his body. It was nice to know that this aspect of his hideout was retained.

Moments went by, as both boys sat in serenity. Magnus would peek over at Alec from time to time, who seemed very relaxed now, rocking on the bench swing, stuffed cat next to his face. A soft blue glow now surrounded the area where he sat. Somehow, at least in this environment, Alec looked a bit brighter, overall – Magnus couldn’t describe it. It was something emanating from within – almost. Maybe it was due to the serene look on his face, as opposed to him looking like he was in shock. His face had almost looked ashen, having lost its color. True, the bite was still on his neck – which they still needed answers to.

But at least for now, Alec didn’t seem to remember, or to care.

Around them, suddenly more buds and flowers started to slowly emerge. Magnus was amazed. He had never seen the garden so prolific – perhaps it was their combined energies which brought forth new life to this spot. Now next to Alexander was a rose bush, with lovely budding vines climbing steady over the top of the swing and to the other side. By Magnus, a giant sunflower had already bloomed. He loved sunflowers, but never thought he would see one grow in Edom, even magically.

The air smelled so fragrant, especially with the roses in bloom. Alec opened his eyes, still holding the stuffed cat to his cheek. Wow, so many flowers, he thought. And…Magnus, sitting right across from him in a small field of lilies and the giant sunflower to the left of his body. Magnus raised his eyes just then, glamoured brown, looking searching at him. Alec smiled, blushing.

“How are you feeling?” Magnus asked, concerned. Magnus got up and walked to Alec, sitting down again and taking his hand, rubbing small circles into the tender part of his palm. That action never failed to make Alec feel better, as it sent tingles throughout his body.

“Pretty good,” Alec murmured, his hazel eyes dilating as he stared into Magnus’s warm brown eyes. He squeezed Magnus’s hand, and felt the tingles increase. 

“Do you think you are able to talk?” Magnus ventured in a soft uncertain voice. Alec looked away briefly, signaling that he was uncertain. “Just think about it for a little bit and let me know.” He squeezed Alec’s hand softly, again. He really did not want to force Alec to talk if he didn’t want to. But if it wasn’t now, it had to be soon. They had not really talked since that fateful day in that bookstore. A day that Magnus would rather soon forget – but then again, here they were.

Still, as far as talks went, he found it rather ironic, that he has had deeper talks since -- with his dearly departed father Asmodeus – even though he had sent him into limbo, and even with Maryse Lightwood, who had taken it upon herself to _continue_ to be there for Magnus, despite their sordid history together. It was she who clued Magnus in on his father’s evil ways, and ultimately to the deal that Alec had made with Asmodeus to get his magic back.

Thinking back on this made him feel warm all over. She had, most recently, been treating him like a son. He has not felt a mother’s love in years. Wonders never cease. She had totally acted out of love for both him and Alec.

So, that was how Magnus found out exactly what happened. But he’s as sure as ever that Alec still did not know how Magnus had found out. Alec had not brought it up either since their reunion, but Magnus was sure he was curious.

That’s why they needed to talk. Keeping things inside have never benefited anyone. Magnus knew this as best as anyone, since he often caught himself being hypocritical and hiding his feelings. Alec then was the one who drew them out. And now Magnus was going to try to draw them out from Alec.

Alec had finally turned to look directly at him, his hazel eyes showing a slight silver of fear, and his face had grown slightly ashen again. But less so than what manifested when they were in the master bedroom. Magnus squeezed his hand once again, and Alec seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

“Can you show me…your eyes?” Alec whispered.

Magnus nodded. He cupped Alec’s face with his hand, and dropped the glamour. In doing this, he was showing Alec his vulnerability, his willingness to shed all facades. It was such a simple gesture. But to himself, and especially to Alec, they both knew the importance it signified. Magnus had to grow up with these eyes, and it had taken him a long time to accept them, or to trust that whoever saw them would not hurt or even kill him, out of ignorance. It was more of a survival tactic, to keep them glamoured. While Alec now had his cat eyes as well as a result of the rune, it wasn’t quite the same.

“So beautiful,” Alec whispered, reaching over to touch the side of Magnus’s face.

Magnus placed his hand over Alec’s, which was currently resting on his cheek. “What happened, Alexander?” he asked. “What made the magic so reactive?”

Alec’s face grew ashen again. “That mirror in the ceiling,” he finally gasped. “What I saw in it.” He stopped speaking for a second, looking lost. He looked at Magnus, whose face had not registered surprise.

_How much did Magnus know about this, exactly?_

“Well, let me ask you,” Alec said slowly, looking at Magnus carefully. “Did _you _see something in that mirror? Did you know about what the mirror would do, beforehand?”

Magnus shook his head. “No, I didn’t know about the mirror beforehand. It did look really cool when we first saw it, didn’t it? I’ve actually always wanted a mirror on our bed so we can ‘watch’ ourselves – but after this, no thank you. I think I was scarred for life,” he admitted.

“You’re telling me,” Alec muttered, the images starting to flash in his head again. He shut his eyes, and suddenly he could imagine the teeth biting into his neck again, and the pain that followed. Egad…

His heart started beating a bit too hard in his chest, and the room started spinning…

“Alec, Alec,” he suddenly heard Magnus’s voice saying. It sounded like it was coming from so far away. Something within Alec _clicked_, and he felt like he was floating – again. He refocused his eyes, and he saw himself bathed in blue magic, with Magnus’s hand on his. The runes, along with the rings, were softly glowing, simultaneously. 

“Alec.” Magnus’s voice had taken on urgency, as he continued to scrutinize Alec carefully. Alec’s face was really ashen right now, and there definitely seemed like there was something heavy troubling him. “This isn’t healthy,” Magnus then stated firmly.

Magnus got up and started pacing around, thinking aloud. “Going back to the topic about the mirror…I was thinking, that the mirror appears to project either one's worst fears, worst nightmare, or the very thing that is holding one's soul hostage, like a perpetual black cloud, if you will.” 

He stopped pacing and looked at Alec. “You probably know this already from the teachings from the NY Institute; Downworlders were feared because most assumed that they couldn't control their baser natures -- as if their animalistic natures would take over, making them blind to the laws and proprieties followed by their Mundane sides. Many, such as those who were in the Circle, took that on blind faith and used that to justify massive Downworld killings, before the Accords were set in place."

Magnus paused. He had not planned on disclosing this part of it. However, if he wanted to encourage Alec to trust and confide in him, then he needed to trust that Alec wouldn't freak out or just up and leave him / leave this relationship -- for what he was about to say next. 

"The thing is," he said slowly, "That teaching isn't completely off the mark entirely." 

Alec turned to look at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Magnus took a deep breath. "As the half-breed son of one of the original seven Fallen Angels, I am half demon. Right, it's assumed that all warlocks have a demon parent. However, what you don't know is that it also makes me much more vulnerable in terms of hearing/answering the call from Edom. Or lets say if there were spells that might trigger my demon half to come out -- and there has not been any type of occurrence like that in recent centuries or as far as i recall -- I could then manifest into such a being once such a spell is evoked," he stated. 

Alec looked stunned. "_A being..."_ he stated, looking at Magnus dead in the eye, as the wheels were turning in his head. "Surely you don't mean --"

"Yes, Alexander," Magnus stated. "A **demon**. Red scales, claws, sharp teeth, and all... But even more so, with my magic amped up two hundred percent. Technically I would be considered _indestructible_."

He shut his eyes, afraid of Alec's reaction. This had been a fear he had been harboring, shortly after his father had relegated stories of such occurrences within time. Since their blood was imperial, the potential was always there -- considered as the perfect foil to invaders who might come to Edom.

"Wow..." Alec breathed. He seemed deep in thought.

"So you never told me this... Because you were afraid you would lose me?" Magnus did look really afraid at that moment. His glamour had dropped. He definitely looked as if he was feeling very vulnerable right now.

"... Was that what you saw in the mirror?" Alec then heard Magnus ask in a small voice. 

Alec quickly responded, "No, definitely not! And trust me, it would not have made me react nearly as badly. On some level, I believe I would have still known it was you." Actually he was not completely sure if he would have known, but he wanted to believe that he would have. _As long as it wasn't ---_

"I saw Asmodeus," Alec blurted out. "Wedged all up against me, his claws grabbing at my skin, thrusting inside me, saying nasty things..." 

He watched as the expression on Magnus's face turned to horror. "It nearly broke my sanity. I mean, I _should have known_ it was only you and I, making love. But every thrust seemed to coincide with his leering face, the words he was whispering into my ear, that he had me where he wanted me, and that he could tell that my body enjoyed what he was doing to me..." 

Alec couldn't go on, a sense of shame suddenly engulfing him.

His hand flew to the wound in his neck, throbbing more than ever. He took a shaky breath, then continued. "Your dad, as he was thrusting into me, he sank his teeth into my neck, to claim me. I hadn’t expected it to hurt, thought it was still a vision…yet it hurt so much. Then I felt myself, my mind and soul, completely _submit _to him, as I felt him hit my prostate, hard. I almost blacked out and was resigned to letting him have his way with me. It really wasn't my proudest moment...” 

He trailed off, as waves of shame engulfed him. “You know it's usually _magical_ when we connect like that,” he said softly, looking into Magnus’s eyes. “But, thinking that it was _him_ doing that to me, and the way my body reacted to him, It made me feel so shameful… _so dirty_," he admitted in a low voice, now turning away to look at the floor when he said those last words.

He could feel the mounting pressure building up behind his eyes -- worry and stress which had built up over the past few weeks -- his soul being held by Asmodeus in a vice grip as he was forced to reliquish the one thing that mattered the most to him – **Magnus.**

"_Lilith_," Magnus whispered, horrified. "I had no idea how much my father had affected you.”

Alec just kept talking as if he had not heard Magnus.

He sat there, drawing his legs to his chest. “And you know, I deserved_ every_ excruciating bit of it,” he whispered, his eyes wide and unfocused, but tears falling down his face.

“I made you lose your magic. I didn’t want to admit it to myself back then, but that’s exactly what happened. I just couldn’t lose Jace, but I ended up _losing_ you instead -- whatever made yourself you, at the very core of your soul. Your father pushed those buttons… and I felt like I had no choice but to agree to the deal. I let Asmodeus manipulate me, take away my confidence, my pride…_our love. _I threw away everything that ever meant anything to me. I was no longer worth a damn, to myself, or to anyone. Instead, I _submitted _to him without fighting it…OW!” 

Alec suddenly jerked, yelping again, as his hand flew to his neck, making Magnus jump up in response. He looked at Alec’s neck. The bite mark was glowing yet again, but now he could see a faint fiery red line firmly embedded in the skin, it’s fire flickering. It looked like it went around Alec’s neck -- like a choker. 

_Or the mark of an Edomic noose._

Magnus was shocked. He was familiar with that mark – Asmodeus had often used Edomic nooses in the past to mark those whose souls were damned by him -- _but why hadn’t it emerged before? _

How, with all the imperial powers as his birthright, had Magnus not noticed it before? Out of everyone, he should have been the one to see it immediately. One could always pick out the damned in a crowd upon one glance, as the nooses were always lit up, forever burning…

Had Alec been subject to this torment this entire time?? No wonder Alec had been looking so ashen, so defeated. His whole angelic soul had been _tormented _by Asmodeus, all this time...

“Can I sit with you?” Magnus asked hesitantly. Alec, still not looking at him, nodded. Magnus went to sit on the bench behind Alec, then hugged him from behind, wrapping his legs around him. Upon feeling Magnus’s body against his, Alec sighed, his whole body leaning back and melting into his embrace. Magnus kissed his hair tenderly.

“And you were never going to tell me about the deal, you silly boy,” Magnus stated matter-of-factly. “You were going to damn your soul forever, and allow me to walk the Earth, a half-shell of whom I was…”

He then cupped Alec’s face and turned it up to face him. Alec’s hazel eyes were looking up into his, searchingly, as he listened raptly. “Because I was _broken_ without you, Alexander. Even when my father came back and infused the magic back into me, I suddenly realized that having my magic back meant nothing because my heart was_ completely_ shattered. I realized that no love before had mattered in the way that you matter to me, Alexander. The loss was so earthshattering, I couldn’t bear it. I came thisclose to erasing all my memories of you –” 

Alec grabbed his hand, hard, his eyes shocked as the words registered. “But I didn’t. My dad stopped me. He wanted to manipulate me, to use my pain, to convince me to return with him to rule over Edom with him, seething in the pain caused by the heartbreak. I hate to say it, but I almost did ---”

Alec stood up just then, surprising Magnus. He sucked in his teeth. 

“_What?”_ he managed to utter.

He was stunned. _Asmodeus had almost convinced Magnus to return to Edom? Of all the dirty, conniving…What the fuck!_ Alec was angry now. “Right, pain ends up in suffering, resentment, and eventually hate,” he muttered. 

He couldn’t believe how calculating Asmodeus had been. “He would have gotten both of us, that way. Exactly as he wanted…”

Magnus saw how worked up Alec was getting. “Pup, sit down. It’s okay, it’s okay…” At Magnus’s gentle urging, Alec slowly sat down on the bench, facing him.

“Look, if it hadn’t been for your mother, showing up at my doorstep, I would never have found out,” Magnus mused. He shook his head, and smiled fondly at the memory. “Your mother is quite a smart woman, Alexander. And quite persistent too, as with all you, Shadowhunters.”

“M-My mom?” Alec asked, surprised. Then he recalled how his mother had come up to him at the NY Institute that day, and he had returned the ring, telling her they had broken up. That Magnus needed to be whole again..

**“_Why -- in the name of the Angel (!)_ would you ever do that??”** his distraught mother had exclaimed upon receiving the news. Now that Alec was playing back the memory in his head, it was actually quite funny. Endearing too, that it had affected his mother so much. _She had really come to love Magnus,_ he suddenly realized, feeling warm all over. 

“She must have headed to the loft to try to find you, after my run-in with her that morning,” Alec stated in wonder. 

“She saw me use my magic to close the door, since Asmodeus was in the loft at the time. Then she said something about “me being whole again.” I had gotten a bit bitchy upon hearing those words, which led to her reassuring me that she loved me – which was actually a really strange exchange of words between us – “

Magnus paused to chuckle with affection.

“Then she told me that she was sure that you still loved me, and that you were going to propose during the dinner on the balcony, which I had conveniently destroyed with my drunken spectacle. And then she asked me to think on when I actually got my magic back. I can’t believe I didn’t figure out Asmodeus’s ruse out sooner. _I am so, so sorry, Alexander_,” Magnus stated, tears now falling out from his golden cat eyes. 

Magnus now felt a huge sense of relief in finally clearing the air.

He felt warm fingers lacing with his, and he looked at Alec, whose hazel eyes searching his. “I’m so glad we talked,” Alec murmured. “I thought I was strong in keeping it all to myself. And…im not saying that it was fortuitious that the visions in the mirror occurred –” Alec paused, suddenly looking sick to his stomach upon the mention. Magnus didn’t think Alec would forget those visions for a long, long time. 

“But, at least everything is now out in the open, between us. The best way to exorcise all demons – so to speak, right?” Alec said lightly. A warm sensation spread through their hands just then, and both of them looked down. Purple and gold flares, like their rings, swirling together, that traveled up Alec’s veins, sending surges of warmth up his spine. Magnus was staring at him, transfixed at what was happening. Suddenly it seemed some sort of shadow was slowly lifting from Alec’s whole being, rising above them and disappearing into nothingness – as the brightness in Alec’s hazel eyes increased. 

Magnus’s gaze then fell upon Alec’s neck.

“Alec,” Magnus stated. “The bite mark – it’s gone.” Not even a scar. He moved his hand toward Alec, and his fingers gingerly made contact with the formerly affected surface of the skin. This time, Alec did not flinch. No pain…. Magnus also noticed that the mark of the noose had disappeared as well. 

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. 

“I do feel more like myself right now,” Alec murmured. He did feel as if a huge weight had been lifted. “I haven’t felt like this in quite awhile. I’m so glad we talked. I guess we were just both suffering so much on our own. This communication thing feels really good.” They locked gazes with one another just then, and slowly they both leaned in for a tender kiss, tongues licking into each other’s mouths. Then they leaned their foreheads together.

“I’m so glad you brought us there. I like knowing that there’s this type of sanctuary here,” Alec said. “We should definitely come in here to recharge from time to time, especially if we need to face all the craziness of Edom outside,” Alec stated. “This can be our sacred place.”

Magnus nodded. “I agree. As for the other rooms in the castle, I think I also want to redecorate the master bedroom. Right now, weird mirrors, burnt walls, and shattered glass on the floor is not my idea of livable,” he stated. “Speaking of which, I don’t believe we haven’t christened the rest of the castle, have we?” he smiled, winking lavisciously at Alec. He got up from his seat and held his hand out to Alec.

Alec laughed, a flush on his cheeks. “Well, as long as we stay away from crazy mirrors, and no longer have compromised souls, I think we can attempt to keep exploring right?” he said lightly, as he allowed Magnus to pull him into his arms.

**********************

“Interesting…toys,” Alec said slowly, delicately fingering a black rubber bondage mask on a hook on the wall in the room. 

Magnus’s curiosity had gotten the better of them as they had walked back out to the main hallway, and past one of the rooms with the cages. They had ducked in, and were just staring -- slackjawed -- at the debauchery that lay before them. A large platform with 4 bondage beds with restraints attached, chains with restraints dangling from the ceiling, walls with restraints and armbinders attached as to hold the person standing in a spear-eagled position, and a few varieties of "fucking machines" that even Magnus had not recalled seeing when he had been in Edom as a young child. 

Alec's eyes were just bugging out, this was way too much information for him -- even with Asmodeus being the Greater Demon of Lust. 

_Lust indeed._

Magnus just shook his head, incredulous.

_Ah, his father’s taste for BDSM._

Images of tangled bodies and Asmodeus’s leering face once again flitted through his mind, to his horror. Bodies thrusting at one another, restrained, wearing masks, being fingers, pounded into by Asmodeus as he threw his head back and shrieked, his demon self-unfurling in all its glory…Asmodeus having his way with a succubus while hanging from chains dangling from the ceiling –

…well he had to admit, his father was certainly limber…

_Thought you would want to see how his former Imperialness used the room, a voice said in his head. _Ah this blasted Castle, Magnus thought.

_Please! None of this, it’s disgusting! _Magnus thought, golden cat eyes flaring, as his mind snapped back to reality, holding up his hand.

Alec turned to look at him. “What is it?” he asked curiously.

Magnus shook his head. “Nothing for you to worry about. I just got a chill down my spine; this room has bad vibes,” he said evasively.

Alec smiled slightly. “Yea, I was getting a little bit of that too. Still though, some things look interesting,” he murmured. Alec had seen something hanging from the ceiling from the corner of his eye.

Suddenly he felt a warm surge within his body; in one second his magic had pushed him right next to the coveted object that he had seen. It was a swing with a leather seat with harnesses, affixed with chains, obviously made for two. Next to this swing was walls adorned with masks, restraints, cuffs, ball gags, shock collars, regular collars, harnesses, and various sex toys. 

“A sex swing,” he mused. He had never seen one before. 

Immediately Magnus was by his side. _“Ohhh_,” he breathed. “This does look interesting.” He slowly walked around the contraption, his eyes examining every part. Images of what he could do with and to Alec flooded through his head, and he suddenly had to control his breathing. 

His vision blurred. Suddenly a vision of a long red scaly appendage wrapping firmly around Alec’s neck flashed into his mind, causing him to stumble.

_What? No!_ he thought, shocked.

“We can come back to this later, there are still more rooms to look through,” Magnus said hastily, suddenly pushing Alec out of the room.

“What – oh, okay,” Alec said, stumbling as he braced himself against Magnus. His fiancé was sure acting weird today.

Soon they were walking toward the throne room, where Magnus had spotted earlier that day. _Yes, there was still a red glow emanating from it._ He knew Alec couldn’t see it. And the zaps he was receiving up and down his spine. 

He shuddered. He tried not to look directly at the sculptures and vines adorning the sides, but from out of the corner of his eye, _yes they were definitely moving and waving at him._

He grasped Alec’s hand tightly as an anchor, both mentally and physically. The archer turned and grinned at him. He heard Alec gasp as they entered the room. “This is huge,” Alec marveled. “It certainly didn’t look this big from the entrance…” 

The size of a grand ballroom, there was a huge multi-tiered fire and crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling skyward. A wall at the far end, littered with skulls, empty collars and chains, and heads of other beings hung like trophies. 

Alec stared at them. “Are those—"

“My father certainly liked to display his conquests,” Magnus murmured to Alec, who had a queasy look on his face. “See the collars and chains? For his most valuable conquests, he would keep them chained, alive, to his walls, while he figured out what to do with them. Or just kept them there for his use, or pleasure until he decided to kill them.” He said the last sentence with distaste. 

He’s never agreed with his father’s policies, not even at 9 years old when he first came here with him.

In dead center of this wall was the tall throne of swords, the seat and armrests made of smooth grey stone, easily the height of the wall itself. It looked intimidating, menacing. The throne meant for the King of Edom. 

The new King of Edom, anyway. 

It glowed much more brightly now than before now, and Magnus felt some sort of force pulling in his mind. More images of Asmodeus sitting there, claiming his conquests while bent over one of the armrests flashed quickly through his mind not unlike the effects of a strobe light.

OW! A sharp pain assaulted Magnus’s head. He suddenly keeled over, and fell onto his knees.

Alec was immediately kneeling by his side. “Magnus!” he exclaimed. What was going on with him?

_Your throne,_ the castle stated in Magnus’s mind, reverberating like echoes. The pull became stronger. What was happening?? Magnus thought, eyes widening. Fear. Using his own magic, he started to resist the pull.

_The throne – for you and your Consort, Your Imperialness_, the Castle continued.

_No, I am not accepting the throne, and no, I am **not** dragging Alexander into this, stop!_ Magnus thought desperately, trying to fight the mental pull in his mind.

_It’s inevitable. Whether you accept it right now or somewhere down the line, you are down here, and this is your birthright,_ the Castle proclaimed. Magnus made a face, that was almost the words Asmodeus had told him time and time again.

_Edom is your birthright,_ he would say.

Out of the corner of Magnus’s eye, the throne suddenly burst into flames. A flame shot out toward Magnus and Alec simultaneously, too quick for either of them to deflect. 

_Or for their magic to react._

_They both screamed simultaneously – more from shock than hurt, as the fire was not hot at all -- as the fire wound around them like a lasso, and yanked them to the huge seat of the throne. _

_Two sets of eyes rolled to the back of their heads, as both Magnus and Alec lost consciousness and went limp._

But as quickly as that happened, they both seemed to regain consciousness just as quickly. 

_What happened?_ Magnus thought, opening his eyes. Simultaneously, Alec had woken up as well. What happened? Alec thought.

Their eyes met, and something electric sparked down both their spines. Golden cat eyes emerged, Magnus’s turning fire-red. 

Both set of eyes flickered.

**_Nephilim._** Magnus’s brain short-circuited. His hands started shaking, and suddenly he had the biggest hard-on ever.

His eyes focused _dead _on Alec. 

Next thing he knew, his hands had involuntarily shot out to grab Alec by the shirt firmly, pulling him roughly to him.

**_My King,_** Alec’s brain thought faintly upon seeing Magnus, as it short-circuited. He felt his eyes slowly become heavy as Magnus grabbed him fiercely to him. His nails were digging into his arms, but somehow he barely felt this. 

Magnus’s mouth was firmly asserting dominance, opening up his mouth with his tongue thrusting and clashing teeth. Alec felt and heard his shirt ripping, before a sudden warm surge rid him of all his clothes. 

_If this is what his King wanted -- to have his way with him tonight -- then he was going to be the best little angel for him...._

He was now fully naked, his back pressed against the armrest and the smooth stone throne surface beneath Magnus. 

_Yes, yes, my King, _Alec thought faintly as his mouth and tongue responded to his King, yielding and immediately becoming pliant in the King's hands -- which were suddenly everywhere, exploring stretches of Nephilim skin. 

Alec’s back arched and he moaned into Magnus’s mouth, as Magnus’s frantic touch left trails of fire in its wake all over his body. 

Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, his common sense thought that these scratches should be hurting him, as the nails were digging in and dragging.

But for some reason, normal pain sensors in his head were not activating at this time.

He only felt immense arousal and pleasure with every scratch, every drag of nail. And the rubbing together of their very hard cocks, precum smearing all over the place. 

_Take me now, my King,_ Alec thought faintly, moaning as he felt the sensations overcome him. 

_Want you to possess me, claim me, mark me_

_... **make me yours**..._

As if Magnus had heard him, he broke off the kiss, and swooped his head down to bite his neck, where the Deflect Rune was located. Alec hissed, before moaning loudly as Magnus started sucking, sucking at the spot. Alec’s body lurched beyond his control.

“You like that, don’t you, Nephilim. You like knowing who you belong to, eh?” Magnus whispered in a deep guttural voice, as he lifted his mouth from the neck, which was already sporting a deep purple bruise.

“Don’t stop, _please,_ my King,” Alec sighed inaudibly, opening his eyes slightly. Magnus’s eyes were fire-red, and his face looked wrecked. It sent a surge _directly _to Alec’s groin. 

He’s never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

Magnus’s mind suddenly snapped to reality in that second. What did Alec say? he thought. _Did he say, “My King--?”_

But just as quickly, he felt a hand encircle his cock firmly, pulling forward, and all thoughts left his brain.

“_Nnnnth nnnnth!" Magnus_ groaned.

“Does my King like that? I _live_ to _serve_ you,” Alec murmured inaudibly, in a delicious sounding tone of voice that almost sounded like it was teasing. It hit Magnus’s spine, sending sensations like nothing he’s ever felt before.

In an instant, the Nephilim was down, in-between his legs, and a warm mouth, with _perfect_ suction -- _no less (!),_ had replaced his nifty hands on his engorged cock, _tugging, tugging_...Magnus nearly fell _backwards, hissing --_

_This Nephilim was going to be the death of him..._

“Mmmhmmm,” Magnus managed, his body shuddering. Waves of arousal and increasing warmth from his gut were threatening to overcome him. 

He was almost shocked at the audacity of this Nephilim, who had dared to exert control at this point. Yet he was pleased that he initiated it, giving him pleasure. 

Not to mention he was a _hot_ piece of ass...

But enough of that, he needed to show who was boss. _Now._

Magnus put his hand on the Nephilim's cheek, which made him stop and look up at him through long lashes. Clear adoration and worship was in his eyes, his mouth still wrapped obscenely around his cock. _Lilith_, Magnus thought, sharply taking in a breath at how debauched the Nephilim looked.

_Ready to be fucked_, he thought.

"_Come up here, my little angel_," Magnus murmured, taking both hands and hauling the Nephilim so that his mouth popped off his member. The Nephilim was pulled into his arms, every curve pressed to his body. "I think you'd rather have me in you, eh??" he suggested lavisciously, feeling his eyes glow afire once again as they locked gazes. The Nephilim smiled at him. "Whatever you say, sir," he murmured. Magnus raised an eyebrow, grinning as he muttered some words in a strange language.

He moved his hand slowly -- _teasingly_ \-- down the small of the Nephilim's back, down the crevice of that perfect ass, teased the rim with his fingers -- which made the Nephilim moan and twist his body. Then with a flourish, Magnus wedged his fingers -- _hard_ \-- into that oh so tight opening -- already slick, prepared and ready to receive him. Again, and again.

The Nephilim's hazel eyes widened upon feeling the intrusion. Then golden cat eyes appeared, the pupils dilating so much they almost overtook his entire eye, as his body shuddered and his walls clenched tightly around the fingers. He moaned loudly, throwing his head back.

_In and out, in and out..._

A short while later, he was even barely aware that his King had flipped him over, mounted him, and was outright fucking him hard, filling him up, as his face and front torso was all shoved up against the throne. The sensations were just all-encompassing. 

"_YES, OH YES, OH YES, OH YES, GIVE IT TO ME MY KING!!_" screamed the Nephilim, his gaze unfocused, shoving his ass back against the thrusts of his King. 

The King had his teeth firmly embedded in the neck of the Nephilim, and didn't seem like he was going to release anytime soon, as he thrust frantically into the Nephilim's opening. _ He was soo tight, and it felt soo good..._

Right at the point of connection, warm feelings were sparking up like fire, engulfing them both with flames, ignited by passion -- they both started moving faster and faster against each other, breaths more and more ragged -- the King shuddered violently, moaning as he dug his nails, deep, into the perfect fleshy globes of the Nephilim's ass as he chased his release, causing the Nephilim to moan as well. 

They both threw their heads back as THEY both came, howling to the fiery skies of Edom~! Then both _collapsed_, both bodies sprawled upon the throne, unconscious.

_Unbeknownst to them, the fire between them spread to the entire throne, and suddenly shot up into the ceiling, through the walls, throughout the exterior part of the castle, shooting up into the sky like fireworks. _ _As the embers rained _ _back down on the castle, a strange thing happened. _ _The castle's red exterior seemed to melt off, replaced by a rich, glittery purple. _

_The two on the throne still remained unconscious, both beyond sweaty, hair plastered to their faces, arms and legs tangled with one another._

In Magnus's head, spoken by the castle, but unheard by the unconscious Warlock --

_It is done, your Imperialness. With the consummation of this act while on the throne, you have performed an age-old sex-magick spell which also serves as your acceptance of the throne, which is your birthright after all._

_Welcome home, and all hail the new King of Edom, Magnus Bane. _


	6. A New King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus is now the new King of Edom.
> 
> But not everyone is happy about that...

An unearthly screech suddenly pierced through the almost silent atmosphere of Edom. Daybreak had barely started spreading across the plains. 

Right now, Lillith wanted to scream and tear her hair out, as she was wrenched out of her beauty sleep when a bright flashing wall of purple assaulted her face, making her open her eyes. 

_At this ungodly hour??! Egad!!_

The obnoxious light, flashing like one of those cheap scrolling mundane LED advertisements meant there was a new King in the castle-- Asmodeus's castle.

The stupid beacon was bright enough to reach across all of Edom -- announcing the acceptance of the throne by the new King. It would announce the news for DAYS.

And wasn't she just so lucky that her own palace directly faced this infernal nuisance? rghhhh!

That castle should have been mine! her mind raged. 

But NOOOOO...by law it had to be passed down through blood. And how she hated it the constant reminders from others ---

Which meant that it was that warlock -- Asmodeus's half breed spawn -- who must have stumbled across the throne. In fact, he _did_ like to wear purple a lot didn't he? At least from her encounters with him in the past...

Ugh. 

To her knowledge, he hadn’t even wanted to be in Edom in the first place, let alone take his father's place on the throne.

What was _really_ killing her was that she had inadvertently made this happen.

Her drive to resurrect her son Jonathan, who had gone batshit crazy with that Morningstar sword in hand. That had driven that warlock to make the most selfless sacrifice and leave Earth in order to save those worthless Mundanes and infernal Shadowhunters.

She had told Jonathan _not_ to pursue the sword. They were just fine as they were... But that Shadowhunter part of the boy had always flared up from time and time as he was growing up -- which would make him defy her... 

She thought she had extinguished that defiance one time after she lifted her hand to his face and burned it as a slight warning.

But once he had learned he had that sister, Clarissa, on the Earthly plane, it was almost like something innate within him had started calling the shots, and Jonathan, her demon son, had nearly failed to exist. 

All his thoughts had become consumed by her.

Suddenly Jonathan had felt the urgent need to go to her, to convince her that he loved her and wanted her by his side as he sought to take over the Earth with the Morning Star sword.

And even though Lillith hadn't had proof of this, she had been convinced that Jonathan had been about to betray her during his quest for the sword. 

One day, Jonathan had returned from topside and asked to see her. He certainly spoke to her civilly enough, but she had been able to detect an edge to his voice and a look in his eyes. Coincidentally, (?) she had suddenly been summoned topside -- ironically by Clary, Jace, that Daylighter, and remarkably, her ex Cain...\

And then Jonathan had showed up as well.

She was able to convince Cain to let her go free -- it certainly had its perks, having power over the one you used to love.

Jonathan, however, was ultimately transported to the holding cell below the Institute after Clary spontaneously drew a rune. 

His death, at the hands of his beloved sister in Toronto, had shaken Lillith to the core. 

Due to their shared blood, the excruciating pain had seared through her veins and all of Edom had heard her scream of agony echo for miles...

But she was over it...

_Really_.

Lillith had felt no more sympathy for Jonathan at all, not since he got himself imprisoned by the Institute. He had made his bed -- when he had chosen Clarissa over her...

Children -- what an insufferable, hellish lot. Once grown, they could just turn on you.

Even worse than lovers -- at least lovers might follow you for eternity and then some. 

Lillith was just fine with having lesser demons as her 'children' -- no need to pursue having another half breed. This had been interesting, but this was more than experience enough to last many eternities over...

Well, with that being said -- she had turned her interests back to becoming the ultimate ruler of Edom. 

Asmodeus had been missing in action for a while now... Then somehow Lucifer, the Archangel, the most notorious of all, had found out Asmodeus had gotten himself thrown into limbo... And how? 

"By his own flesh and blood," Lucifer had tutted to Lillith when he had stopped by with the news spoken with a tone of amusement and sympathy -- shaking his head in disbelief.

Out of all his nephews, and as much as he didn't like him due to his arrogance, he thought Asmodeus of all would have escaped even an unpredictable fate like this...

Unpredictable in the sense that few would have thought to vanquish someone by throwing them through a portal. 

Then again, Magnus Bane -- Asmodeus's half-human spawn, known as a warlock on the Earthly plane -- _was not just any ordinary being_.

Magnus had done it once before, when he had_ invented_ the portal. He had used it to banish Asmodeus to Edom centuries ago. 

But to use it to send him to limbo -- now _that_ was creative.

Lucifer could admit that Magnus just might have entered Lucifer's consciousness with just a tinge of grudging respect for his grand-nephew, after hearing about this act. 

But Magnus had chosen the Earthly plane to reside in, instead of Edom... And thus, when the castle had remained vacant, and Asmodeus confirmed gone -- he had stopped by when Lillith had summoned him.

"So what of the castle?" she had asked carefully. Lucifer had noticed she didn't try to sound seductive or anything -- they both remembered how that had not worked eons ago, and thus would not work now.

He had pondered for quite a bit. "Well," he had said, "The castle? Why do you ask? The throne is still only passed down through blood only. And, technically it belongs to Asmodeus's line, which means Magnus Bane ---"

"What?" she had screeched. "That...warlock??! But he's too busy on Earth doing favors for all those Nephilim. Ugh..."

Lucifer had been deep in thought following her statement. "Well yes," he had mused. "Well this does create an interesting situation. So, let's propose this. If the throne is not claimed within one Earthly year, then it is up for grabs --"

"Wait a minute," Lillith had interrupted, her eyes narrowing, "Wasn’t this castle yours originally?"

Lucifer had stopped, his eyes suddenly glowing like fire. "Of course, you of all the infernal beings would remember that," he muttered in an uncharacteristic grumble. It had been clear that this was not an agreeable topic of conversation. 

He had sighed. "Yea, yea, so I lost the castle to Asmodeus about a thousand years ago," he continued to grumble, with his cheeks now flaming in embarrassment and anger. 

"Worst decision I ever made to go along with it. But I have to say, Asmodeus was delightfully devious. Had to give it to him for that," he conceded. 

He had appeared lost in thought for a moment, then he had shaken his head ruefully with a rare smile before looking back up at Lillith. 

"So, back to our topic of conversation. Those new stipulations would apply..."

Lillith almost had a slight smile on her face recalling that conversation with Lucifer. However, it quickly faded in the light of reality.

Magnus Bane was the new King of Edom. Ugh! 

A spear of flame suddenly flew through her window, missing her head by an inch. Oh god, not the morning broadcast. How insufferable. 

Shrieking, she raised her hand to torch it. But curiosity got the better of her, and she looked at it.

_EXTRA EXTRA! HAIL TO MAGNUS BANE, The new King of Edom! And apparently, he's brought some sort of mystery companion with him! _The headline read. _Details on page 4..._

It was soon blasted to smithereens with hellfire. That brought a quick smile to Lillith’s face, which faded just as quickly.

That should have made Lillith feel better – but it didn’t. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and closed her eyes. 

Get it together, Lillith, she thought, inhaling deeply. You aren’t the Mother of Demons for nothing.

Like it or not, she still had to keep up appearances. 

Even if it meant she had to face the new King with her signature saccharine smile and curtsey. Ugh, it was going to end up killing her to do so!

But, first things first.

Willing power into her hands, she produced a fire message bolt. 

“Lucifer,” she whispered, and then hurled it out the window to activate it.

She watched it take flight and start sparking across the sky. She needed to speak to him at once. 

******

Darkness became blurriness, then dim light as Alec slowly blinked open his eyes. 

What happened? he thought groggily. Where was he again? He couldn’t remember…

_Oh right, the castle…_

He looked down at himself. He was naked and lying across what seemed to be a stone surface. Man this is uncomfortable, he thought. Then he looked to his left and noticed Magnus, still asleep (or was it unconscious?), sprawled on the opposite end of the stone surface, naked as well.

Firstly, why were they _both_ naked? Did they ---

He looked toward the floor. His clothing was in shreds. 

His back also ached badly, and for some reason the skin felt a bit tight around the back of his shoulder blades. He reached back to feel around – and felt rough skin. Were those – scars? When did he get those?

Suddenly images started flooding back into Alec’s mind. “Yes My King,” he heard himself say faintly through various scenarios. _I said that?_ he thought, confused. It barely even sounded like him – his voice was so soft and yielding.

In his head, he saw Magnus, parts of his body covered in _red scales_ (!) – but thank goodness his loving face was still accounted for, so not a _complete_ transformation, Alec thought idly. He proceeded to watch Magnus raging and tearing his clothing to shreds, seemingly not aware of _what_ he was doing or _how roughly he was doing it _– with Alec just passively smiling and letting this happen.

Then Magnus was mounting him and digging his claws (?!) into his back before _thrusting_ into him... 

Alec shivered as he saw the look on Magnus’s face – his eyes were focused and wild, and he did not appear to be acknowledging Alec_ as_ Alec – only _taking_ what he wanted... 

Upon first impressions, Magnus was definitely intent on _CLAIMING_ whoever was beneath him, without caring _who_ it was. _Taking, claiming, ripping his skin open and not caring…_

Fear and bile rose in Alec’s throat upon seeing his beloved having his way with him like that in the vision.

But Alec swallowed those feelings down quickly. 

Stay focused, Alec, he thought to himself, even as he winced at Magnus’s actions in the visuals_. This is Edom, and something had taken control of us. Selfishness and torment reign here, not love, _he reminded himself over and over again as the visuals kept flashing like a loop in his head. He needed to keep his wits about him and not let these things affect his love for his fiancé…

Actually, when he attempted to rationalize it, somehow he was able to calm down. Right, Magnus had mentioned that part about his bloodline, which made him more susceptible to transformation.

Wow, Alec thought, so he wasn’t kidding about the manifestation. Somehow it did not scare him as more images flooded his brain. Alec was relieved upon having this realization. He knew it was most likely due to whatever had taken control of them at that time. 

His heart still swelled as he thought of his love for Magnus. 

No, these visuals were not going to turn him against Magnus. Magnus would never hurt him under regular circumstances. Or seek to dominate in quite that way. Not without them agreeing that was acceptable beforehand.

Magnus loved him. They loved each other.

Suddenly, visuals of Alec screaming obscenities and writhing as Magnus pounded into him flashed into his head, and Alec gasped. The imagery from these scenes were so crazy and pornographic that Alec blushed upon seeing them. 

Then they both seemed to burst into flames – WHAT!

And the visuals suddenly shut off.

…

Alec just sat where he was, stunned beyond belief.…

Shit, he thought, eyes widening. All that happened? 

He leaned over to shake Magnus. “Magnus, Magnus!” he pleaded desperately. “Wake up!”

Magnus slowly opened one eye. “….xander?” he murmured. 

Then his eyes seemed to come into focus, and he sat up, a look of alarm on his face. 

“Alexander, there are scratches on your back, like deep ones! How did you get those?” he asked, worriedly. 

Gingerly, he touched one of the big welts that was already crusted.

“Ow!” Alec yelped, flinching. Okay, this was definitely not imagined!

“And bruises all over your neck and chest….love bites?” Magnus mused, as he took one finger and delicately brushed the side of Alec’s neck.

Magnus’s eyes widened with concern. “Lillith,” he whispered “Did something happen between us? Again?” 

His mind was still foggy, so he still was not clear on whatever happened . But that was the only explanation for all the scratches and love bites all over Alec.

Suddenly, Alec started screaming. His hand flew to his chest.

“My chest! It’s burning!” he gasped when he was able to get in a breath. His eyes widened in horror.

Magnus froze, his gaze transfixed on Alec’s chest -- something was being _burned _into Alec’s flesh. Letters. 

Alec wore a look of shock on his face as it was happening, not saying anything.

The inscription finally was complete. _And it was in Indonesian!_

“Property of the King…” Magnus read slowly. 

He did a double take. “

What?!” His mind was not ready for this.

You did accept the throne, Your Imperialness, a voice suddenly said. 

_Not this castle again._

I did no such thing! Magnus roared inwardly. However, he started feeling sick as realization dawned on him. His eyes appeared to glaze over slightly as horror slowly overtook his face – _just as the images started playing in his own head._

_...I did that to Alec? No way, that wasn’t me!_ he thought in denial.

_Are you sure about that, Magnus? Are you sure you were completely oblivious of that? a voice instead his head said._

Then other thoughts started coming into his head. Sex-magik, the throne…He smacked himself in the forehead in disgust. Lillith, how could he have been so shortsighted! 

His father had told him this during their travels shortly after he had found him about all of this!

Ugh! But he could think about all that later. His first priority was Alec right now…

“Alexander! Talk to me! Are you okay?” he asked in an urgent tone, looking at him closely.

Alec looked dazed. He also did not seem totally present in the moment. He winced as he put his hand to his burnt chest. However, in the next second, he did manage to turn toward Magnus. 

Seeing him, Alec’s eyes softened and his mouth curled up into a faint smile.

“Alexander?” he inquired softly. “Hmm, that’s a nice name.”

“You may assign that name to me, My King,” he continued, in a voice Magnus had never heard before.

What?! Magnus recoiled slightly. This was _not _Alec…

“I am yours,” he added. The tone was subservient, edged with slight defeat. 

His eyes then rolled back and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

“Alexander!” Magnus shrieked, bending over to kneel next to the unconscious figure. He took a limp hand in his.

What was going on??? Magnus was getting angry.

_Your submissives, harem, the help, or any temporary guests/fuckthings are yours to do as you will, Your Imperialness,_ the castle spoke_. They are completely wiped of identity upon entering your service. You can assign them any title, position, or species you wish, or choose not to acknowledge them at all. In fact, your father really liked to assign the word “pet” to such companions ---_

“ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW? GIVE ALEXANDER BACK TO ME! AS HE WAS!” Magnus bellowed, his cat eyes blazing red fire. 

“And there will be NONE of _that_. Not in MY CASTLE!”

Silence. 

_As you wish,_ the castle spoke.

The limp hand that Magnus was holding started to move slightly. Magnus looked down. Alec’s eyes fluttered, and then the large hazel eyes he loved were looking into his own. They looked a bit bewildered.

“Magnus?” Alec asked, faintly, his eyes searching Magnus’s face, as if uncertain at what he was looking at.

Then Alec blinked, his gold cat eyes clicking in place. Glistening, as it dawned on him that Magnus was the one holding his hand.

Their enjoined hands started vibrating in unison, and the looked down. Their alliance runes were glowing.

“Magnus,” Alec breathed, his voice sounding much more certain. His whole body sagged.

Relieved, Magnus swooped Alec into his arms, bestowing kisses into his hair and cheeks. 

“Angel,” Magnus whispered tearfully. They embraced.

Alec’s chest was glowing. They both looked down.

_Property of Magnus Bane,_ the inscription now read in Indonesian.

Magnus snorted. “Not much better, as you are certainly _not_ my property. But it’s an improvement from before,” he quipped.

Carefully he helped Alec to his feet, and waving his hand, magicked some clothing on both of them. Alec noticed they were wearing the same thing, glittery red button down shirts and black pants. 

Alec looked at himself, then at Magnus, an amused look in his eyes.

“Twinsies?” 

“Yea, I’m too tired to be creative. But I figured we shouldn’t be walking around naked, especially in Edom. Who knows what we might run into, right?” Magnus said, trying to keep his voice light.

Magnus stretched and yawned. 

“Anyway, it’s certainly been quite the day. C’mon Angel, I don’t feel up to greeting my subjects just yet --”

He winced at the wording. He had subjects now, didn’t he? 

Magnus sighed. He never wanted this, but apparently it was here to stay. He decided to keep his concerns to himself, and turned to Alec.

“Want to go back to our spot for a bit? I could use some recharging,” Magnus said softly.

Alec smiled at Magnus’s efforts to make him feel better.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Alec said. Then in a teasing voice, he repeated in a softer voice, “My King.”

Magnus looked at him with a horrified look on his face.

“Please, don’t call me that,” he pleaded. “It would have been hot, normally. But now it’s just going to give me nightmares going forward. I will never able to hear that coming out of your mouth without fearing that something or someone in Edom managed to mindwipe you into some subservient pet. Yea, not happening on my watch. I love you too much for that. It would completely destroy me.” 

His gold cat eyes searched Alec’s with such an intensity, it made Alec swallow hard, and he felt his own eyes blazing.

Magnus leaned in to kiss his Shadowhunter. Together their alliance runes glowed and vibrated yet again, as did their rings.

“I’m sorry, Magnus,” Alec said sincerely once they had parted. He seemed thoughtful.

His eyes, now back to hazel, darkened considerably. “Hmm, how about Daddy?” he teased. “Can I call you Daddy instead?”

Magnus’s eyes blazed brightly at him. “I have no problem with that,” he murmured. “Anyway, this King stuff can wait. I just want to cuddle you, no strings attached.”

His cheeks pink, Alec didn’t argue as Magnus threw up a portal and pulled them into it, heading back to the hideout, their safe haven in the castle.

*************

"Lillith, I see you requested my presence," a snarky deep regal voice suddenly spoke. Lillith did not need to look up to know who it was.

Lucifer – tall and darkly handsome, stood against the wall of her room with a knowing smirk on his face, and a raised eyebrow.

"It took you long enough," Lillith said, irritated.

"Oh, we have attitude today, have we?" Lucifer sniffed. "If I recall correctly, it was you who summoned _me_ to come by. I was having a perfectly lovely day minding the lesser demons at the far end of the realm. Not to mention catching up on the latest gossip..." 

He reached behind him, and brought out a folded newspaper. Sure enough the headline referring to Magnus Bane as the new King of Edom was on top.

"Egad, that infernal thing!" Lillith screeched. “How dare you bring that into my home. I burned my copy!”

"Now, now, mind your manners," Lucifer said. "One might think you hated the idea of him on the throne."

"That should have been ME!" Lillith screeched, as her left hand started to glow with red fire.

"Well, yea, the candidate should have been someone more proximal and familiar to the region other than my nephew's son, but what's done is done. Bloodlines you know," Lucifer said flippantly. 

Lillith could only pout as she crossed her arms and plopped down in a chair, her mouth pressed into a firm, unhappy line.

"Actually, I'm happy things worked out this way," Lucifer said, smiling serenely. "It's all working out to plan. See, I wanted Magnus to assume the throne."

_WHAT?_ Lillith shot up from her seat, giving Lucifer a murderous glare. 

"Seriously? Don't tell me you orchestrated all of this!"

"Well..." Lucifer began, drawing the word out for dramatic effect. He started walking around and sat himself down, idly looking at his black lacquered nails. He looked up and saw an impatient Lillith, her eyes blazing and herself ready to burst.

Lucifer grinned, he always did like an attentive audience. 

He sighed dramatically and started to speak.

“Not directly. I merely encouraged a certain young and ambitious Edomic citizen with demon blood and a hunger to take over the world to seek out his family's legacy, being that he had missed out on it when he was younger due to his father's rather lofty and misguided aspirations. I convinced him he could not only get back the respect and power which was rightfully his, but that he could also win his sister's love. Granted I had not expected him to actually fall in love with her – I mean, egad that’s HIS SISTER! But alas what do I know about the feelings of mortal beings, anyway?" 

Lillith’s face had started to turn slightly red as recognition of this situation started to dawn on her. 

Lucifer caught it and bit back a grin. He loved his ability to rile people up – he considered it one of his strengths.

He decided to ignore her reaction and continued on with his story.

"Anyway," Lucifer continued, "so I told the boy that it would be a great favor to me if he could just tear open the rift an itty bitty bit, and it would help him to rule the world. But what I had_ really _wanted was to create a situation where Magnus would feel obligated to save the world by coming to Edom. See I _needed _him on the throne. You know how I lost the castle and the rights to the throne through a gambling bet to Asmodeus. Well, I regretted it ever since. I sought to manipulate the next King so I could inadvertently be the ruler of Edom, but Asmodeus was too strong-minded and purely Edomic so being able to exert mind control over him would be impossible. But Magnus, being half-Edomic, see --- that makes him vulnerable to it. Boy, I really need to hand it to your boy, he really succeeded in helping me to bring Magnus to Edom..."

Lillith couldn't believe what she was hearing...was Lucifer in effect confessing that he had used Jonathan as a pawn for his own goals?

"You manipulated my son!" Lillith screeched. "I can't believe this! All this time he thought you were helping him, and that he was doing something he was fated to do for himself – getting the Morning Star sword…but it was all for _your _own gain! If that isn't the most selfish, vile piece of garbage I have ever --"

"Oh, so you're going to tell me that you wouldn't have done the same. Oh, you are just so altruistic and selfless with your pursuits, eh?" Lucifer stated, challenging Lillith. “In fact, what was the Owl thing all about, eh? Claiming that Shadowhunter for yourself, was that not at his expense, in order to do your bidding?”

Lillith sniffed. “Of course it was,” she huffed. “But to do that to Jonathan…well firstly that’s MY son! And you’ve seen him grow up. He trusted you! You were practically the solid male figure in his life, his real father traded him off for power. Now he was a REAL loser…”

“Oh, Valentine Morgenstern, you mean?” Lucifer scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yea, the guy just couldn’t be happy with what he had… anyway too bad for him, as we get to play with his damned soul down here for all eternity. I think right now some lesser demons are toying with him. Someone’s screams kept echoing around my way, and it kept interrupting my damn beauty sleep. Ugh, so bothersome.” He sighed dramatically. “Well, he definitely got what was coming to him…”

Lucifer suddenly noticed that Lillith was looking at him with an unreadable expression. 

“What?” he asked, feeling a bit unbalanced. He did not like that he was not able to read her, and there were times when she was a little bit too good at that…

“Sooo….” Lillith suddenly was less than an inch from his face, her eyes looking up at him, and her finger tracing down his jaw line. Her voice had turned sultry and low. “It certainly sounds like we both want the throne of Edom. Is there any possible way at all for both of us to get what we want?”

Lucifer looked at her with an incredulous look on his face. “Lillith, Lillith, Lillith,” he said in a tone implying both amusement and exasperation, and shaking his head. “Didn’t we agree that this was not the way to go? You’ve tried this before. You’re just not my type –“

“Oh, please, don’t flatter yourself,” Lillith snorted. “I was intrigued when you mentioned taking control of the throne. Now, as I remember correctly, Edom recognizes the Royal Consort as equal to the King in terms of power, right?”

“Why, yes,” Lucifer said, looking contemplative. “If Magnus takes you on as his Queen, then you will pretty much rule Edom.”

Lillith resisted the urge to make a face. There was no love lost between her and Magnus, as he had helped those nefarious Shadowhunters take her down the last time she had been topside and helping Jonathan to take over the world. In fact, she hated the idea that there was no way around ousting Magnus from the throne. 

But she had no choice; thus she would need to get used to this idea fast.

“So what’s to keep us from teaming up? Me seducing Magnus so that he wants to marry me -- and you as King when you take control of Magnus?” Lillith asked casually, throwing Lucifer a knowing look.

Lucifer turned slightly away from Lillith as he contemplated the situation. “Not much at all,” he murmured.

“But there is one complication…” He just let those words linger in the air, glowing inwardly with satisfaction as Lillith’s face grew with angry impatience.

“Well, what is it?” Lillith demanded, now red in the face. “Spit it out.”

Lucifer’s response to that was a blinding grin, which only served to make Lillith’s face turn even redder with rage. 

He relished it. 

Lucifer couldn’t stand Lillith, who he viewed as power hungry as Asmodeus. Also, he had to put up with her haughty son who thought he was some gift to Edom -- for years. 

Standing there, gloating at the fact that he certainly had the upper hand right now, he visualized himself stabbing her in the throat. His heart warmed at the thought. 

But he willed it down, as other things and motivations were taking priority right now.

His cryptic responses to Lillith certainly had to do with the fact that the new King of Edom had an unwitting companion with him, the Nephilim Alec Lightwood. Now, it might have been easier if Magnus would have allowed Alec to remain mind-wiped, then it would have been easier to control Magnus and have the Nephilim serve him.

Mind-wiped beings did not notice things such as personality changes with their master – they just did what they were told. 

But, no, Magnus reversed that action, and now Alec Lightwood was going to be a big obstacle. 

“Uhh, Lillith. My darling little dungbeetle,” Lucifer said, suddenly sounding like someone patiently trying to explain something to a small child, “I’m sure you are aware that Magnus already has a potential lined up?”

Lillith suddenly fixed him with a glare that could have burned through any lesser demon. He even felt the sudden sting across his chest, associated with such a burn.

In fact if he had been a lesser demon, he would have been a goner. 

But no, he was Lucifer, and he was not in the mood for an onset of her petulant tantrums. He raised an eyebrow as if to say, “Really, Lillith…”

“_Of course_ I know that. Anyone in the realm can smell the insufferable Angel vibe in the air,” she snapped. “It’s quite atrocious, actually. Clueless Bane is so used to it, he doesn’t even notice it anymore. Anyway, the Nephilim is far from being _official,_ yet. And you know that runs against the rules of Edom. Even if the King wants it, the realm won’t recognize it. Nor will the people. You know that, don’t you?” 

Hmm, come to think of it, he thought, as his mind continued to strategize, maybe it _would _be better to have Lillith by his side, so they could seek to control Magnus, and then to get rid of Alec Lightwood. 

He also sensed something off about this Alec Lightwood; his scent had been slightly different than other Nephilim that he sensed immediately when Magnus had taken the throne. 

It wasn’t like anything he’d ever encountered.

That in turn made him curious. He better be prepared for anything and come up with a good strategy in order to thwart any obstacles that Alec Lightwood might be presenting them with. 

However, there was still the initial obstacle facing him – how to get himself invited into the castle. This had been revoked when he had lost that deal to Asmodeus. It had essentially barred him from entering the castle, and thus any potential confrontation with Asmodeus which could have been helpful in wrestling control of the throne from him.

Asmodeus had been extremely wise about that when devising the conditions regarding the deal. Lucifer had to give him that. But he did not think Magnus was wise to the deal at all – given Magnus’s relationship with Asmodeus, Lucifer highly doubted Magnus knew anything at all regarding their history. 

This gave Lucifer the advantage right now, and it was one he was going to play up as much as possible.

There was a good chance he could somehow trick Magnus into inviting him into the castle. 

And…in fact, it might actually be a really good thing, that Lillith wanted in. He could use her…

He turned to Lillith, pasting on a smile.

“Now, now, my dear,” he murmured, “I believe we may be able to work out a deal. Quid pro quo,” he said. 

He refrained from looking smug as Lillith gave him a look of surprise. 

“We are going to work together to get control of the throne. I am going to take control of Magnus, while you plan on turning him away from that Nephilim, so that you can seduce him and convince him to marry you,” he stated.

“Well, that certainly sounds very ideal, but we definitely need a more detailed strategy on how to approach him,” Lillith said. 

She stepped closer to him and adjusted the collar of his shirt. “I trust you already have the initial steps in mind, my darling?” she breathed.

Lucifer wrinkled his nose. “Somewhat. I had been planning on paying a visit to the King himself, attempt to overpower him, and then I was going to weaken the wards,” he said. “However, when Asmodeus claimed the castle after our game, he specifically altered the wards so I could not enter unless invited by the King himself.”

“How would you overpower him?” Lillith asked curiously.

Lucifer hummed. “There is an Edomic rune that exerts power over beings, but particularly over those of Fallen Angels and their descendants, making those of Imperial blood extremely suspectible,” Lucifer said. “When drawn on such individuals, it allows for mind control and use of their powers. History has shown this to be quite powerful and effective, when applied. But there’s still a length of time between application on the skin and obtaining ultimate control of said being.”

“However,” he continued, “I would need to get close enough to Magnus in order to even apply the rune. Magnus probably would have the castle heavily warded, as he trusts beings less in Edom than he does topside. Not to mention he needs to protect that Nephilim now, who as we’ve seen, is more than susceptible to the whims of a castle focused only on the desires of his King,” he continued, rolling his eyes as he replayed the way Alec Lightwood had been successfully mindwiped right after Magnus had taken up the throne. 

If that were ever to happen again under Lucifer’s watch, he would ensure that Alec Lightwood never regained full control of his faculties. With his strength and fighting abilities, the Nephilim would certainly become an asset when submissive to the right master. 

His eyes focused intensely on Lillith, “It seems like you have a way of charming yourself into people’s homes. Any ideas of how I might accomplish this?”

Lillith thought for a moment, and then smiled.

“Come to think of it, I have been quite successful with sneaking others in when trying to infiltrate their homes,” she said. “Perhaps you can turn yourself into a small object or something that is undetectable, and I can bring you in.”

“Ah, I was hoping you would suggest that! I can most certainly shape-shift accordingly,” Lucifer agreed.

“I’d need to practice being neighborly, of course,” she mused. “Bane’s not apt to be so friendly with me since I lured that Nephilim Jace Wayland to ruin the last time. However, Bane is the new King, and at the very least, he would feel obligated to see me for a few minutes. Once we are both inside the castle, you could rematerialize, immobilize him in whatever way you see fit, and place the rune on him.”

“Certainly sounds like a plan,” Lucifer agreed. “Let me sleep on this, as the Mundanes say, and I will get back to you. Also, I need to do more research on this rune.”

Lillith nodded. “Let’s meet again once the plans are more concrete,” she said.

She smiled. "Should we kiss on the new arrangement?"

She tilted up her head by way of invitation.

Lucifer gave her an incredulous look and held up his hand.

“Uh, I’d rather not. No offense,” he said quickly. “Let us just take each other at our word. We need each other right now, so I trust we won’t be devious and turn on one another.” Well, at least Lillith needed him– he didn’t need her at all, other than to get into the castle so he could come face to face with Magnus.

However, he needed to keep up this façade, so that he could strike when she was at her most vulnerable.

Lillith smiled again. “Can’t blame me for trying. Your terms are acceptable,” she said dulcetly, and bowed to him.

Lucifer nodded. “Until the next meeting,” he said, before he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Lillith stood there, looking out at the realm. Edom would soon be hers, as soon as she convinced Magnus to make her his Queen.

Even if it meant having to deal with Lucifer. That being said, her history with him was hardly stellar. Somehow he always had a way to take advantage of the situation, and come out on top – while she was always left in the dust.

She still couldn’t get rid of her distaste for him, but he was a means to an end.

This wouldn’t be the first time she had to work with someone in order to get what she wanted.

As for Magnus, he wouldn’t be too difficult. Besides being incredibly easy on the eyes, she was sure she could physically make him an incredibly happy King where it counted. 

Happy enough to make him forget about Alec Lightwood, even after any potential enchantments might have waned. Besides the official bond of King/Consort only served to enhance feelings toward one another, so he would eventually come to fall in love with her anyway of his own accord.

But she would need to have all her wits about her. 

Besides Magnus, she would need to oust and defeat Magnus's Nephilim lover, Alec Lightwood – while attempting to outsmart Lucifer, which she had yet to achieve since the first day they met.

“Lillith vs. Shadowhunter, 0-4,” she muttered. “Lillith vs. Lucifer, 0 – 3,000…within this century, anyway.” Just thinking about this, as she never failed to do, made her want to spit.

Immortality was such a bitch, especially with a being like Lucifer. She was tired of losing to him.

Time to turn those odds in her favor.


	7. Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec take some needed time out for themselves. 
> 
> Meanwhile unbeknownst to them, there's some plotting behind the scenes...
> 
> And there's a visitor who arrives at the Castle! With ties to Magnus...

Up in Magnus’s childhood hideout, Magnus nuzzled his face into Alec’s neck, as they lay together, limbs entwined.

Alec sighed softly, relaxing as he took deep breaths, content to be in the arms of the man that he loved. 

“How are you feeling, my love?” Magnus asked softly as he leaned back a little bit to look into Alec’s beautiful hazel eyes.

Alec lifted his head to look at Magnus. The concern in his soft brown eyes tugged at his heart, and he felt his glamour drop warmth from the magic that they shared coursed through his veins.

“Perfect. It’s just perfect, baby,” he whispered. A lock of hair came loose from Magnus’s quiff, and Alec reached up gently to move it back into place.

It was so comforting, lying down amidst the tall grass and fresh flowers -- the area now seemed to stretch further in all directions due to the renewed magic Magnus had spelled into the air. The sweetest aroma from honeysuckle permeated the air.

This was their own corner of paradise within this cold, harsh kingdom of Edom.

Magnus took a deep breath, allowing his thoughts to run free for a moment.

_King_. He was now _King_ of this godforsaken place. It had been the last thing he had wanted for himself. 

For them.

He still couldn’t wrap his head around it. 

But, he thought, letting out a sigh, if anyone could handle the throne, keep the rift closed, and handle the few riffraff coming to protest the recent change of regime – it would certainly be him.

He had been shortsighted to think that the castle – let alone all of Edom – would have been content to be left without a King in place.

Actually, if Magnus had not come, there may have well been a full-out riot and war for the throne. 

He just didn’t like the idea that he practically had _no choice_ in the matter – it was preordained. He had lived for centuries on the topside, especially after escaping Asmodeus, living life on his own terms. 

To think that the full circle had him ending back in a place that he had sought to leave for decades – it just confounded him.

A nip at the ear brought Magnus back to the present.

He turned to find Alec looking at him with the most tender look on his face.

“Careful, Shadowhunter,” he teased. “We are supposed to be resting. I think we have gone through more than enough these past few days…”

“So why are we naked again? Wasn’t that the purpose of clothing, to lessen temptation?” Alec teased, his hazel eyes darkening.

Magnus shrugged, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “I love feeling your skin against mine, it’s incredibly therapeutic. We don’t even need to do anything. I can just lie here, listening to your heartbeat and feel you breathing – and it is more than enough for me…”

Magnus kissed Alec tenderly on the cheek, then on the nose, eliciting another soft sigh from Alec.

“It is enough for me, too,” Alec murmured. “And I love it when you do that, Magnus,” Alec softly pressed his lips against his. They kissed chastely for a few minutes, tenderness building up between them.

Magnus closed his eyes, relishing the feel of Alec’s skin and lips against his. 

He recalled long lazy afternoons, when Alec was off from his duties as Head of the New York Institute, where they would just lay in bed, or even on the balcony outdoors, heavily glamoured so that no one could see them – and either Alec would lie on Magnus or the other way around and they would just hold each other and relish the feel of their bodies against the other.

Actually, it had not been that relaxing the entire time since they had made it back to the hideout.

Magnus had spent a good few hours willing his blue magic into the wounds on Alec’s back and all over his body, feeling extra guilty that he had inflicted those upon Alec during that inadvertent sex-magick ritual.

Alec had kept dismissing it, saying that the skin would eventually heal on its own time -- but Magnus refused to accept that. 

It had been worth doing so, as Alec would softly sigh and moan, arching his body as the magic hit the wounds, slowly and effectively sealing them up. That had been quite the turn-on, which had led to some deep kissing, their tongues licking at each other, and hands in each other’s hair as they rutted against one another on the soft grass.

They hadn’t even gone all the way; all in all it had been soothing and satisfying at the time. Magnus had admittedly been exhausted by the days’ events, and he wouldn’t have even been able to guess how Alec had been affected. His experience had been way worse…

Their being able to connect with one another, even with this small moment, made Magnus feel much better and less guilty about everything. 

Although he had still felt guilty about the inscription on Alec’s chest. He had never meant for that to happen.

Alec had laughed it off, saying, “Well, now we can be sure that no one will ever be laying a hand on me, knowing that I belong to you…Daddy.” 

His eyes had held a playful expression, and Magnus had to laugh at his fiancé’s teasing.

Alec smiled as he propped himself on one elbow, looking tenderly into his fiancé’s eyes. He could look at Magnus’s handsome face all day, into those gold cat eyes that made his heart skip a beat, and almost forget everything that faced them now.

Almost, but not quite.

Magnus noticed that Alec was frowning. “What’s wrong, Alexander?” he asked

Alec couldn’t help but feel anxious. “So you’re King,” he stated slowly. “I’m just wondering how accepting the realm is of that. And especially since we are together.”

Magnus drew his head back to look at him.

“Well,” Magnus said, “I don’t think I was the most popular candidate, that’s for sure."

"I'm sure my presence is completely welcome here," Alec muttered.

Attuned to all of Edom due to his heritage, Magnus had heard the low whispers of dissent carried over the winds – of Edomic citizens grumbling, gossiping --- and he also knew that they knew of Alec’s presence – a Nephilim in Edom, which was unheard of, in general.

There was some fear, but mostly resentment. And hate. 

He would have to do whatever he needed to, in order to protect Alec. 

And his dissenters – he had certainly felt Lillith there. Smoldering, resentful.

Magnus would never forgive or forget how she had come across his loft during one of his weaker times. He had just been forced to give up his title of High Warlock to Lorenzo Rey – a warlock he despised for his arrogance – and then Lillith had shown up, in some human form that he had not recognized or even smelled – and he usually prided himself on being able to recognize Edomic signature. She had asked for a potion to nullify love. 

And he had blindly given it to her – not knowing she was going to use it on Jace Wayland, Alec’s parabatai, and wreak absolute havoc on all their lives.

Then after Jace had been possessed by the Owl, Magnus had sworn to undo what he had caused, by going to Asmodeus and giving up his magic – only to end up almost dying in a hospital bed, and then Alec feeling like he had to break his heart so he could become whole again…

Yea,_ fucking Lillith_. 

If he saw her again in the near future, it would be too soon.

But he did need to have some choice words with her; he still remained absolutely furious about the catastrophe that she had caused topside. 

The possession of Jace by the Owl had been _bad_, but not nearly as bad as the Owl almost _killing _Alec just as he had returned from Edom. He had just stood there, frozen in horror, at the incredulous vision of (possessed) Jace driving one of Alec’s own arrows deep into Alec’s chest. Alec had been so close to death. If Magnus had gotten back even one minute later… 

He gritted his teeth. He would never forgive Lillith for that.

As King, he knew he had ways of exercising his potential power to keep her sidelined for quite a while. And he intended to use them to the best of his ability.

Visions of Lillith shrieking in a deep dark dungeon of despair in some crevices in an Edomic mountain was vastly appealing. Magnus grinned.

_Actually, come to think of it, maybe being King wouldn’t be so bad after all…_

He turned to look at Alec, whose adoring face mirrored his own. 

_No one is taking you away from me_, he thought. _Never! _

He lifted Alec’s chin to look at him. Alec swallowed hard, seeing the serious look in Magnus’s eyes.

”You don’t need to worry about that, my love. My father’s bloodline and reputation holds much power here. No one really has a choice. And as long as I’m King, no one will dare come close to you,” he declared.

“Wow, that is just _so_ hot,” Alec whispered, embracing Magnus more tightly.

Magnus dropped his glamour with a soft growl, and felt Alec shudder with arousal at the sight of his cat eyes. One moment later, Alec’s glamour had dropped, mirroring cat eyes looking back at him, with an answering soft growl of his own. Sighing happily, Magnus let go of all his heavy thoughts, his cat eyes fixing on Alec’s adoring ones, and leaned down to suck on his bottom lip.

Alec giggled as he drew Magnus close. “I guess you changed your mind about relaxing?” he teased.

In response, Magnus crushed his lips onto his, probing through with his tongue to meet Alec’s eager mouth. As their mouths and tongues swirled and caressed one another, deepening their kiss, soft sighs, and warmth emanated from both their bodies as their magic coursed through their veins to surround both of them.

They tumbled back and forth in the garden, their hands in each other's hair, then running their hands up and down each other's backs while exploring each other's mouths.

Magnus broke off the kiss, and slowly traced a slow wet stripe along Alec’s jawline and neck with his tongue, causing Alec to arch and moan.

“Damn right, we aren’t going to relax right now,” Magnus whispered. “I want you. And in here, where things aren’t unpredictable. Where it’s just you and me in this sacred place of ours.”

He sucked and nipped hard at Alec’s neck, letting his nails lightly scrape the surface of Alec’s skin in the way he knew made him shiver and shake, his eyes falling closed, and then his hand reached lower, lower, lower still, making Alec’s body tremble even more – until he reached that hardness begging to be satisfied. 

The pads of his fingers lightly started tracing the frenulum, and Alec jerked upward, hard. 

Alec’s eyes flew wide open, and a filthy moan escaped his lips as he felt precome pool at the tip.

“By the Angel. Magnus,” Alec whined, writhing beneath him as he felt Magnus’s hand close firmly around his cock and start to stroke. 

Their mouths clashed together again wildly, getting more and more passionate.

His own hands were now reaching down as well, brushing lightly over Magnus’s muscular abs, down his thighs to firmly stroke his length, which was just as hard. Magnus moaned in turn as this made him increase his ministrations on Alec. Soon both were panting hard against each other's mouths. 

"Please," Alec managed.

Ooh, Magnus loved to hear his Shadowhunter beg. "Yes?" he asked impishly.

"I need you inside me," Alec whispered huskily, his lips against Magnus's ear. 

_Lillith, Alec was so hot..._

"Give me one second," Magnus murmured.

Bringing his hands to his lips, he blew quickly, lube now covering his fingers. Then he reached down, slowly circling Alec's rim, making him gasp. Slowly, he inserted one lubed finger. 

Alec shuddered at the intrusion, before writhing against it. Magnus began thrusting his finger in and out. 

"Angel, that feels amazing," Alec moaned. More moans as a second finger followed, then a third.

"OHHH," Alec moaned loudly as Magnus’s fingers twisted, hitting his prostate dead-on. Alec blacked out from that, and the consequent thrust reduced him to a shivering mess of nerves, flinching with every movement.

He could barely speak, his gold cat eyes fully dilated. 

"Magnus," Alec said through gritted teeth. ”Get in me now.”

Magnus grinned. “As you wish, Angel,” he murmured. 

He started tracing a slow wet stripe from the hollow of Alec’s neck, down the length of his chest and over his ab muscles, until he was in between Alec’s legs. His tongue gently circled the sensitive rim and started plunging in repeatedly, making Alec involuntarily jump, arching his back at the contact.

Alec’s eyes rolled back. “Nnnnnth,” he moaned, his legs shaking.

Magnus smiled as he looked up at Alec. The sight of his lover coming undone never failed to arouse him. He needed to get in him now. Preparing himself, he climbed back on top of Alec, letting the engorged head of his cock drag against Alec’s lower half, making Alec shudder yet again. Then he positioned himself and carefully pushed himself into the tight wet heat that awaited him.

“OH, LILLITH,” Magnus panted heavily as the warmth surrounded him. His eyes rolled back.

“Want. ALL OF IT,” Alec moaned, clutching at Magnus so he could get in closer.

Magnus thrust all the way in, so he bottomed out against Alec. He just held that position for a moment, savoring the closeness he was now sharing with Alec.

“NNNNNth, yes,” Alec moaned. “Please move.” 

Beads of sweat were forming on Alec’s forehead, and he seemed barely conscious at this point, his eyes flooding with desire.

“I will,” Magnus said softly.

Slowly he started a trail of kisses from Alec’s ear, down his jawline, and then to his neck, where he started to suck slowly. He started thrusting in rhythm, slowly, tenderly. He always loved taking his time in the beginning when they were making love and to watch Alec slowly come undone.

Alec’s breaths started to quicken, becoming erratic, as he clutched wildly at Magnus’s back, almost scratching at it with his nails with every thrust.

“That feels soooo good,” he sighed.

Magnus began thrusting in deeper, and now they were both moaning and clutching at one another. As Magnus reached down to grab Alec’s length, Alec just lost it and shuddered violently, blacking out with a series of gasps. Yet his body kept moving with Magnus’s thrusts, which kept coming more and more furiously. Magnus was starting to feel that warmth collect within the pit of his stomach, and it was building, building, building… 

Alec came back to reality at that point, and lifted his head to catch Magnus in a passionate kiss. Magnus then lost it, as his climax washed over him and he came inside Alec, shuddering and spasming, waves of sensation enveloping him. 

As they both came down from their ultimate highs, they snuggled in each other’s arms. Magnus looked at his Shadowhunter, his gold cat eyes blissed out, which resembled his own. 

He wished he could promise him that life ahead would be easy. It would certainly not be, especially during this transitional time. There were a lot of challenges to be faced, and overcome, especially with getting the Edomai citizens to accept them here. 

I will protect you, Alexander, he thought not for the first time, holding Alec closer to him.

At least they had moments like these where they could escape the world. 

All too fleeting, of course, given the harsh realities that awaited them.

But at least they could savor the small moments whenever they could.

*********************************

After the festivities, both Magnus and Alec remained as they were, bodies entwined with one another, lulled toward sweet slumber by the post-coital endorphins and the scents of the garden.

Alec was fully asleep, as the stresses of the past few days had caught up to him – his cute little snores were evidence of his current condition. Magnus, however, had only been half-asleep, lazily running his hands over Alec’s soft skin. After a while, his eyes had grown heavy, and he too had drifted off to sleep.

An electric impulse down Magnus's spine jerked him awake.

_There is someone by the front gates, Your Imperialness_, the Castle said.

Eh? Magnus thought. The Castle had not mentioned any names…

_You don’t recognize the entity?_ Magnus asked.

_Well, not personally. But he often had some sort of business with your father every so often_, the Castle said. _Your father never addressed him by name._

Magnus pondered whether to go downstairs to receive this visitor. If the Castle didn’t know him personally….

_However_, the Castle continued, _he may be of interest to you, Your Imperialness_.

_Me?_ Magnus asked.

_Yes, Your Imperialness. He is connected to your bloodline on some level – but your father chose to keep him enslaved, out of the Castle, cursed to wander aimlessly without a name or his memories, but –_

_What? _Magnus was astonished. He had some sort of.. relative (?) – that wasn’t one of his five uncle Fallen Angels? He never knew that!

_My father never told me this! How could this be?_ Magnus demanded. As far as he knew, his father had told him all his other sons had died, or didn’t last beyond 1-2 years and had ended up in eternal madness.

_As I was saying, Your Imperialness, if I might continue,_ the Castle stated.

_Go ahead, _Magnus said.

_He is at the gates of his own free will_, the Castle said. _Apparently, once your father disappeared indefinitely, the control started waning. You need to forgive me, I was never properly introduced to him, that’s why I do not know who he is._

Magnus took a moment to process all of this new information. His head was spinning. A…blood relative. Enslaved by his father…

_Will you receive him, Your Imperialness? _the Castle asked.

Magnus hesitated.

_You can always just receive him at the door_, the Castle stated. _As long as you don’t cross the threshold, or the being doesn’t cross into the Castle, you will be under my protection, Your Imperialness._

_Alright, _Magnus thought, coming to a decision. 

He slowly stood up, waved his hand over his body, and he was adorned in a rich velvet purple robe, silk pants and brocade slippers. He looked down at Alec, who was blissfully napping. His Angel face was peaceful and serene in sleep.

Magnus brought his hand to his lips and blew Alec a kiss, blue breath traveling through the air to hit his cheek. He quickly scribbled a note letting Alec know he was going downstairs, and left it on the bench. He smiled as the tall grasses and flowers appeared to lean into Alec’s sleeping form, brushing against him as gently as a summer breeze, sheltering him within them.

Then he turned and slipped out of the hideout.

Magnus chose to take the stairs, as opposed to portalling down to the gates. He welcomed the time to process the thoughts in his head, this new situation he was about to be faced with.

He was a bit anxious, his heart skipping several beats as he walked down the stairs. Murmuring a familiar incantation that used to calm him since childhood, he tried to calm the racing thoughts in his head. 

A…relative. Or cousin. 

He never even knew he had family. Living family. Not that he’d had such good experiences with family – if his experiences with Azazel and Asmodeus were any indication.

Still, someone who had been tortured by his father – surely there might be some common ground shared from that experience?

At the very least, he hoped he could gain some sort of ally with this being, who was currently seeking him out.

Magnus slowly descended down the rest of the spiraling staircase to the foyer and approached the grand doors. 

When he was standing right behind the door, he bellowed, "Who calls upon the King of Edom?" 

Whoa, Magnus thought. His voice sounded darker, more ominous. Also that title "King of Edom" had rolled off his tongue rather easily....

"Sir? Master Asmodeus? That doesn't sound like you, sir. Hadn't you wanted me to come back in a week? Surely you haven't forgotten..."

The voice sounded a little young, a bit hesitant and unsure...okay, this was definitely piquing Magnus's curiosity. Also, he hadn't addressed him as King. Most of the Edomai would have done so, at least with Asmodeus anyway...

He had to make a decision. Flicking his fingers, the door opened. Standing in front of him was a young man, dressed in rags. His head was dipped, and his straight dark brown hair covered his face. He looked harmless.

"State your business, young man," Magnus stated.

The young man looked up, almost cowering, as if he was a deer in the headlights. As he lifted his eyes to meet Magnus's, Magnus's initial thought was almost one of amusement. As far as he knew, from what his father had taught him as a boy, no one, absolutely no one, besides the Fallen Angels or the King's Consort would dare look the reigning King directly in the eye. 

Magnus himself, of course, did not hold such pretenses or concerns. Nor was he going to take offense toward someone so obviously young, who seemed like he was lacking for comforts in every way --

What made him almost flinch, however -- as the young man showed his face -- was his _eyes_.

They were gold cat eyes, down to the slit irises. Like his _own._

Magnus's head was spinning. How was this possible? 

"You have eyes like mine, sir," the young man spoke, a bit apprehensively. "W-Who are you? And where is Sir?"

Magnus regained his composure enough to speak. "I am the current King. Well, it was rather sudden, but the Castle recognized me as King due to my bloodline. I'm assuming you are looking for my father, Asmodeus?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the young man.

"Sir is your father?" the young man asked. His eyes widened. 

"Yes, Asmodeus is my father. My name is Magnus. Magnus Bane," Magnus said.

The young man looked at him searchingly, before speaking again.

"Well, he's my father, too," he said slowly.

The two looked directly at one another for what seemed like an eternity. 

“Well that’s obvious, since we both share the same eyes. Asmodeus is the only Fallen Angel with these eyes,” Magnus said carefully. “Anyway what is your name?”

“Tatsuo,” the young man replied.

“And my father was the only parent you’ve known?” Magnus asked empathetically. “What of your mother?”

“My mother died in childbirth,” Tatsuo stated matter-of-factly, as it reciting a fact. “I never knew her.”

Magnus felt a tug in his heart, almost paternal-like. So he never knew his mother…

He looked at Tatsuo, taking in his poor appearance. “Where are my manners? Won’t you please come in?” he said, graciously, holding the door more widely open.

Tatsuo blinked. “You…are inviting me in?” he asked hesitantly. “But…Master Asmodeus…”

“Well, I’m the King now, and Asmodeus, our father, isn’t here,” Magnus replied. “As the King, and as your _brother_, I’m inviting you in.”

Magnus extended his hand out to him.

“Brother,” Tatsuo echoed. He still didn’t move and seemed to be frozen, staring at Magnus’s hand.

Magnus looked down at his hand, which was glowing blue with his magic. It was so innate to him, he hadn’t even realized it had occurred. “My magic. I’m a warlock. I’m assuming you are as well?” Magnus asked.

Tatsuo shook his head. “I’ve never had it manifest. At least I don’t think so,” he mumbled. “Master Asmodeus tried when we first met, but it didn’t happen, and then he was displeased with me…”

“Oh my,” Magnus said, feeling a rush of empathy. Proactively, he stepped forward and took Tatsuo’s hand. Tatsuo did not pull away. “Come on, I have the perfect place to talk. And maybe I can also conjure you some food. You look hungry.”

_I’m inviting the visitor in, Magnus thought to the Castle. “He is Tatsuo. And you are right, he’s related to me. He is my brother. You will acknowledge him as such when referring to him going forward._

_Noted, Your Imperialness_, the Castle responded.

“Okay,” Tatsuo said. “Thank you.” Magnus pulled him in through the threshold, the grand doors closing behind them.

“Magnus?”

Magnus looked up at the very familiar voice of his Angel, who had just stepped out of a portal, and was now in the foyer. He looked at Tatsuo and then at Magnus, both with their gold cat-eyes on display. 

Confusion marred his features as he blinked sleep from his eyes.

“What’s going on?” Alec asked slowly. He had awakened from sleep up in the hideout, and, having found Magnus no longer there with him, had portalled downstairs to find him. Now he was faced with his fiancé holding the hand of a young man who also had Asian features, along with the _same gold cat eyes as Magnus_.

The young man looked at Alec, and then took a step back, appearing a bit scared.

“Alexander,” Magnus said, gesturing between the two, still holding Tatsuo’s hand. “This is Tatsuo. Apparently, Asmodeus had another son he never told me about. Obviously he was not being treated well, either. I invited him in. I hope that is okay with you, my love.” 

His eyes met Alec’s searchingly.

“He’s your brother?” Alec asked, surprised. _Well, of course, the same cat-eyes. _Still, though…

He quickly regained composure. “Magnus, you’re the King. You do as you wish,” he stated, his manner becoming respectful as he addressed his fiancé.

Magnus laughed. “I’m asking you as your fiancé, Alexander. I’m not just going to do anything without asking you,” he said gently. He let go of Tatsuo’s hand to grasp Alec’s. Their runes and rings glowed purple and gold as they did so.

Alec grinned at him warmly.

“He’s your brother. We aren’t going to turn him away,” Alec said softly, looking at Tatsuo, who seemed to soften upon hearing Alec’s words. His attention was on the glowing runes and rings shared by the two. There was obviously some sort of connection between them. 

“Let’s go upstairs and get you some food,” Alec said gently. “Should I do the honors?” He pantomimed throwing open a portal.

“By all means,” Magnus said. He took Tatsuo’s hand again. “Let’s go.”

Alec threw open the portal and they all stepped through.

*************

A lone hooded figure stood less than a quarter mile up from the castle of the newly appointed King, just looking out in the distance. 

She wanted the throne so badly -- correction, she wanted to seduce the King so badly so she could sit on the throne _beside_ him first. Then she could think about securing that throne for herself.

Right, first things first..

She felt magic wielding at her fingertips like fire, as she gritted her teeth at the thought of that unpleasant encounter. She hated having to serve someone. Damn Edom and its archaic ways. 

Damn Magnus and his exalted status in Edom. 

The flashing purple from the castle was still too distracting, so vile....arghhh

She had half a mind to blast that castle right now.

_Careful, darling_,_ need to control one’s emotions better than that, my dear,_ the deep voice said in her head. _That dust kicking up around your heels already betrays your emotions. The King will notice that anomaly immediately when you present yourself to him._

_Hush! And I will have that under control by then, I’m just a little fidgety, especially since you're piggybacking on me,_ Lillith thought telepathically. 

Why did she agree to this again? 

She knew how bossy and annoying Lucifer could be, especially when plotting something together.

Right now he was hiding inside a pocket of hers, shielded so that the wards of the castle could not detect him. Lucifer thought it would be a good idea for her to get used to the situation so she would remain poised when they were actually speaking with Magnus.

Taking a deep breath, she reined in her emotions a bit more. Right, losing control would certainly not be good just about now. As much as she still disliked having to work with him, it was to achieve ends. She smiled as she thought about the potion that she was brewing at home. She was going to drink it later, and then Magnus should end up putty in her hands, as she planned to work the toxin in slowly, night by night, so even his magic would be unable to detect something was wrong.

She was going to tear these two apart, no matter what type of bonds were holding them together. 

Their bond may be strong, but there were certain Edomic dark magic spells, coupled with Magnus’s vulnerability to a few other rare ones due to his Fallen Angel lineage, that were going to help bring it down – leaving that Nephilim helpless and choking on the red sand dust once it was broken.

Her hands started shaking at the thought of being able to have that type of power over them.

_Patience, my dear_, the deep voice in her head said._ I know the thought of grabbing what’s rightfully ours is very enticing. But we still have a while to go. I need to make sure I have enough It will be time before we know it._

Lillith sighed. 

Lucifer was right. Ugh, how she hated it when it was so. 

_Arghhhh_.

*****************

“So, Asmodeus was using you for his own personal slave?” Magnus asked, horrified. 

They were now all relaxing in the hideout. Upon coming up there, Magnus had made up his mind that Tatsuo was going to stay with them, and had immediately enlarged the size of the room. Now it was 2x-3x bigger than what it had been. Perfect for 3 people.

Tatsuo’s eyes kept flitting from one corner to the other, taking it all in – the flowers, the tall grasses, and the general ambiance. Magnus grinned as he watched Tatsuo slowly swing in the chair seat, while hugging his stuffed cat to his chest. Also he was now happily munching on some waffles with strawberries, which Magnus had conjured up for all of them.

Alec was also digging into his waffles. He appeared ravenous.

Magnus grinned. Tatsuo and Alec had that in common -- they loved his waffles. 

“Well, I had no other place to go. And he found me, somehow. I was in an orphanage, and one day a tall man came in and said he was my father. I think I was about 5 years old, and I noticed he had the same eyes as I do,” Tatsuo said.

Exactly how he had recognized Asmodeus to be his father, Magnus realized, reminiscing back to the past.

Tatsuo’s reaction to Magnus telling him that Asmodeus had been banished to limbo had seemed a bit subdued. Magnus found that somewhat puzzling. Even if Asmodeus had not treated him well, hearing that your only parent had been sucked into limbo – never to return – would have been a shock, nevertheless.

Perhaps he was feeling relieved that he would not need to suffer so much now, especially since Asmodeus had treated him poorly.

Tatsuo turned his eyes onto Alec. “Do you do magic as well? Are you a warlock, too? I thought I saw your eyes change. And the glowing of your hand when you held hands with the King,”

Alec smiled. “No, I’m not a warlock. I’m actually a Shadowhunter. Nephilim –”

Tatsuo recoiled. He had heard stories about Nephilim, here and there…

Magnus protested. “No, no. Alec is different. Besides, we are bonded via this rune,” he said, showing Tatsuo the alliance rune on their hands. “And by these rings,” he added. “He shares my magic –”

“Which Magnus was kind enough to show me. I’ll admit there’s been a steep learning curve though,” Alec admitted. “I was only able to conjure a portal successfully starting today. It was pitiful in previous days.”

He looked at Tatsuo thoughtfully. “Perhaps he can show you too. I’m sure, being Asmodeus’s son, you have some sort of potential,”

Tatsuo shook his head. “Besides these cats eyes, I think that’s the only similarity I share with them,” he said. 

Magnus was thoughtful for a moment.

“I remember it took strong emotions for my magic to reveal itself,” he mused. “I had just found my mother dead in the room, a knife to her stomach, self-inflicted. Then my stepfather found us and blamed me, a freak, for it. My anger at that consumed me, and my magic, which I had not realized I had, suddenly coursed through my veins and shot out through my hands at him.” 

He looked at Tatsuo. “Have you ever lost your temper, or acted out, ever? You seem rather mild-mannered,” Magnus stated. “Sometimes it might take that initial surge of emotion, or at least a very conscious effort, to draw that magic out. You are quite young. How old did you say you were, twenty years old?”

Tatsuo nodded. “Yes, I am around there, 20 years old,” he said. He looked at Magnus. “You don’t seem much older than I am, though –”

“I’m over 400 years old,” Magnus said. Tatsuo’s mouth had dropped open.

“I know. I don’t look it, right?” he laughed. “The way warlocks age, and the age at which they stop seems to vary from warlock to warlock. But that being said, it did take me nearly a century to be able to harness my magic well. You will just need to find whatever might set off your magic, and then once that happens, I believe it may start flowing more naturally.”

Tatsuo shook his head. “I never had strong emotions, even as a child. I was used to not having anything since I was an orphan. I was also taught not to complain about it, especially in the orphanage I was at,” he said in a quiet voice. “Even with Master Asmodeus, treating me the way he had, at least he was here and asked for me from time to time. That gesture was a lot more than what anyone else had given to me. I did not have anything else to compare it to. He was the closest thing I had to family.”

Magnus’s eyes teared up, and he reached over to put his hand over Tatsuo’s.

“Well, I am your brother, Tatsuo,” he said graciously. “I swear I’ll try to help you as much as I can. As you know, Asmodeus cannot hurt any of us now. You can stay with us for as long as you’d like.”

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Tatsuo was wearing a gold silk tunic with long flowing gold pants with silver and blue embroidery and blue slippers. 

Tatsuo looked down in shock, then looked back up at Magnus with shining eyes.

“Figured you would want to get out of those old clothes,” Magnus said with a big smile.

“But – I couldn’t. These are too nice,” Tatsuo stammered, his eyes still wide and his fingers unable to stop touching the wonderful material of his new clothes.

“Oh, but you can,” Alec said, smiling warmly at Tatsuo. He dropped his glamour, revealing his gold cat eyes. “You are family now. Please don’t feel uncomfortable. Magnus is one of the most generous individuals I’ve ever come to meet.”

“I am just so grateful,” Tatsuo said, looking at them both shyly.

“Are you feeling more rejuvenated, by any chance?” Alec asked. “This room seems to be great for that.”

Tatsuo nodded. “I actually do feel a lot better since earlier,” he said.

“Yes,” Magnus stated. “I spelled this room with healing and rejuvenation magic so any type of rest or sleep is convalescing.”

“So, what would you like to do next?” Magnus asked Tatsuo.

Tatsuo shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m still a bit shook about everything that just happened,” he admitted.

“How about a tour of the castle?” Magnus stated, “And then to the training area. I was thinking I would help Alec train some more today. I was going to show Alec to use his magic using his bow and quiver. He’s amazing with it, but to utilize it with magic, there would be unlimited arrows at his disposal – as well as being able to conjure them up at will so that he would never need to carry them around again.”

Alec’s head perked up at that. “Really? We are going to do that today?” he asked happily.

Magnus nodded. “Sure,” he said. “I mean, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared just in case. Also, this is Edom and there needs to be weapons infused with magic in order to inflict injuries. These demons regenerate quickly due to them being close to their source – thus we need to be just as fast in having weapons at our disposal.”

He turned to Tatsuo.

“Would you like to come and watch?” Magnus asked.

“Wow, really? That sounds great,” Tatsuo whooped.

Alec looked at Magnus, seeing how excited and happy Magnus looked, sitting next to Tatsuo.

Family, he thought, feeling nothing but gratefulness. Magnus had always longed for family, despite never making a big fuss about it. Then he had met Alec and his family had taken him in and accepted him. But still, there was something to be said about biological family. 

He was glad that they had finally found one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so this is an unexpected development. Magnus has a long lost brother...who knew? Alec and Magnus both seem to want to welcome him with open arms.. Also, The Castle seems to vouch for him to some degree. As for the rest, what do you all think?
> 
> Anyway Chapter 8 next!


	8. Family and Responsibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec make it a priority to get to know Magnus's long-lost half-brother Tatsuo, who is understandably battered and skittish due to his poor upbringing. 
> 
> Slowly but surely he finds his potential, with the help of Magnus and Alec. 
> 
> Magnus, having accepted his position as the New King of Edom, looks into cases left unresolved during Asmodeus and decides to try his hand at resolving a case.
> 
> Then Magnus decides to strengthen both Alec and Tatsuo's offense and defensive skills using training simulations, to prepare them for potential battle situations just in case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay with updating! But yes, I'm back. Hmm, not sure if anyone's still reading this..
> 
> Hope everyone's been well and staying safe.
> 
> Kinda a low key filler chapter, setting up for things to come.
> 
> This was not beta read so sorry if there are any mistakes.

Magnus grinned as he leaned against the wall in the training room, watching Alec practice his archery with the newly magicked bow and quiver, shooting them at moving targets Magnus had conjured up at random. 

A few feet away from him, Tatsuo, all cleaned up and clad in his new silky tunic and pants, and wearing comfortable slippers, was basically gawking at Alec, and at Alec's adept command of his bow and arrow, as if mesmerized. 

In his arms he held the small stuffed toy cat that Magnus had as a child. Magnus had only seen it fitting to give it to his brother after he had looked at it with such joy.

_His little brother. Who would have thought..._

Magnus grinned as he continued to watch Tatsuo watch Alec. A small smirk appeared on Magnus's lips.

Seeing how Tatsuo was looking at Alec -- if it had been anyone else, his magic would have flared with jealousy that anyone was looking at Alec that way. 

But of course that wasn't the case -- Tatsuo was just in awe of Alec, almost the way he himself had been when he first saw him.

Tatsuo just happened to turn and look at him just then. 

“Do you need me for anything, my King...uh I mean, b-brother?” he asked, his cheeks turning pink.

It was obvious he was still a little hesitant in addressing Magnus with anything but his royal title. 

But of course if one was used to serving Asmodeus the way Tatsuo had for all those years, one would be reticent to address someone informally instead of title.

“No, not at all, Tatsuo,” Magnus said kindly. “You need to relax, brother – you are here because we want you to be. You don’t need to do anything for us…”

He flicked a finger, and suddenly there was a platter of cheese and fruits, along with sparkling grape juice in front of Tatsuo. 

His brother looked at him in awe.

“Go ahead if you want,” Magnus said generously. 

Tatsuo smiled gratefully as he took a glass and drank it, his attention still focused on Alec and his practicing.

It had been a slow start with practice. 

Because magic was still new to Alec, he kept forgetting that the quiver would appear automatically in his hand after he shot it at his target. So Magnus had to keep shouting for him not to stop to reach behind him during practice. 

Then Magnus had increased the intensity of practice by altering the arrows so now they exploded on contact when hitting a target. 

When Alec had first shot these and hit a target, the explosion had thrown both Alec and Tatsuo back two to three feet. It had not been a small explosion. 

When they had gotten up again, a bit disoriented and stunned, they had looked at Magnus, who just shrugged. “It’s a good weapon to have though, aren’t they?” he stated.

Alec had to agree it would come in handy if battling demons. 

Tatsuo ended up sitting further away from Alec to avoid the aftermath of the explosions caused by the arrows. 

After a few rounds, Alec was able to hold his ground in light of the explosions. His reaction time in retrieving arrows had also become much faster every time the arrow reappeared in his hand.

Practice went on for another hour, and then Alec decided he wanted a break. 

He walked over to Tatsuo. “Did you want to try?” he asked curiously. 

Tatsuo recoiled slightly. 

“Oh, no, I don’t have any skill for that! Besides the bow looks too big for me –”

Suddenly there was a flash of blue light, and suddenly, Tatsuo found himself holding his own bow and arrow, with the bow sized perfectly just for him.

“There you go,” Magnus said, “Perfect starter set.”

“A-Are these mine?” Tatsuo asked, daring not to believe it. He looked at the sleekness of the bow, made in gold and bronze, and admired how light yet sturdy it felt in his hands.

“Now you get to practice with Alexander,” Magnus said. 

Alec smiled. Magnus was so amazing – and Tatsuo looked like he was about to burst from happiness. “C’mon, Tatsuo, let me show you how to use that,” he said. 

Alec started to show Tatsuo his stance and how to nock the arrow into the bow. “So you just hold your stance, be steady, pull back and let go!” The first few times, the arrow went awry, and Tatsuo’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, don’t worry,” Alec said, smiling. “it took me a good full year to figure out how to do it my own way. You will figure it out too, if you care to try again.” 

Alec was just so encouraging, Tatsuo just wanted to make him proud.

“Sure, I don’t mind if we keep going,” he said. 

For the next half hour, they practiced and practiced – and eventually his shots were just a bit straighter, a bit closer to the target, just missing it by an inch or two.

Alec grinned at Tatsuo – his face was flushed, his eyes bright, and he had a huge grin on his face. It was obvious he had started to love it…

“This may be enough for the first day,” Alec admonished. “Since you aren’t using magic to do this, I’m sure your arms are getting tired.”

Tatsuo winced as he held his bicep with his hand. “I am a bit sore,” he admitted. “But that’s okay. Can we try again a little later?”

“Of course!” Alec said, warmly. He saw how much Tatsuo liked it. That was important, when developing a skill. “You’re a great student, Tatsuo. I bet if given the chance, there isn’t much you can’t do.”

Suddenly Alec felt pressure behind his eyes. His cat eyes blazed brightly as he sensed something was coming at them at high speed. As his ring started vibrating and glowing, his arm shot up instantly to intercept the object. 

Sure enough, his hand came into contact with something in mid-air. Even without looking at it, he could feel it pulsating in his hand. It was something compact, yet bustling with immense power…

“Nice going, pup,” Magnus’s voice called out from a few feet away.

Alec looked at what he had caught in his hand.

It was one of the balls of magical energy he had often seen Magnus wield while doing tai chi. 

He just stared at it in wonder, as he recalled the first time he had seen one of these things. They had had a fight, and Alec had realized the error of his ways and went over to Magnus’s loft to apologize. Upon getting off the elevator and walking through the door, the very view of Magnus doing Taiichi and exercising extreme constraint while wielding the ball of energy had stopped him dead in his tracks and rendered his brain useless -- his apology snagging in his throat. 

Then after a few attempts at an unsuccessful apology, Magnus had thrown the ball of magical energy directly behind him -- or more accurately -- thrown it _at_ him on purpose. 

He ducked out of the way at the very last second, only for it to hit a lamp right next to him. Despite that, he was still able to offer his apology, and fortunately Magnus had forgiven it.

He smiled at the memory. They’ve come such a long way from then. 

He had never looked back since.

Anyway, never did he think he’d ever be able to handle one of these things.

“Tatsuo!” Magnus suddenly called out in an authoritative voice, and suddenly a similar magical ball of energy was hurtling at top speed toward him. 

Shit, Alec thought, his eyes widening as his mind raced. _Tatsuo had no protection, or magic -- he was completely defenseless! What was Magnus thinking!~ ---_

Tatuso’s cat eyes glowed brightly as he _FLINCHED –_

And the ball bounced right off of him. 

Alec just _stared._

Magnus grinned. “Just as I thought,” he said, looking self-satisfied.

Tatsuo looked stunned. “Nothing happened to me?” he asked.

He looked down at himself. Not even a scratch.

“I knew that if you were in a safe place, and being taken care of, that certain things, even at the survival level, would attempt to manifest,” Magnus said proudly. 

“Asmodeus probably didn’t even try that approach, I’ll bet,” Magnus said. The look on Tatsuo’s face confirmed his suspicions. “And from the looks of things, you certainly were not treated well either. “

“You are a son of a Fallen Angel, just like me – the powers are there within you. There’s no doubt about that. Even the fact that you persevered for_ this_ long – when other offspring of Asmodeus’s had perished or gone insane, is a true testament of your tenacity to survive and even evolve. Trust me, because I am living proof of this. And you potentially could be, too,” Magnus said, smiling.

Tatsuo was stunned by Magnus’s words. “Does that mean…I’m a warlock too?” he breathed. 

He didn’t think it possible, or dared to even dream.

“Of course you are. With the potential to be more than just a warlock, given our lineage,” Magnus said. “But I can’t predict how that’s going to manifest. One thing I do know, is that your powers are just buried in there -- somewhere. Not sure how we can draw them out, but we can certainly try, day by day. We do have all of eternity to do so, don’t we, Alec.” 

He nodded toward his fiancé.

“You most certainly do, _My King_,” Alec said in a dulcet voice. 

Magnus’s eyes widened as he stared at Alec_. Had he totally forgotten about what had happened in the last day or so?_

Then he saw Alec’s lips twist into a grin. Magnus relaxed.

“Do _not _call me that. _EVER_,” he said, in a mock stern tone of voice.

“Don’t call me pup, then,” Alec shot back, in a similar sounding stern tone of voice.

Tatsuo just looked from one to the other during this exchange, wide-eyed, yet biting his lip as if he was trying not to laugh.

Magnus saw the expression on his brother’s face, and he laughed.

“Yea, you’ll get used to us. We banter a lot,” he said. Tatsuo just smiled shyly, looking down.

“Hmm, how about we add a little more food and drink, I think we can all stand to take in a little nourishment – especially for you two, after that long practice session,” Magnus said, waving his hand. 

A table with settings, along with various platters of sandwich fixings, sides, drinks, and sundae fixings suddenly appeared before them. Tatsuo’s eyes widened upon seeing the display – especially the one for the sundaes.

Magnus grinned as he noted Tatsuo’s reaction. “I should really be a good older brother and tell you not to spoil brunch by having dessert first,” he said, “But you look like you really want some of that ice cream.” Tatsuo nodded eagerly.

“Well just make a small one for now, but you definitely need to eat some regular food to replenish yourself, especially if you wanted to continue with the archery later on.” 

Tatsuo practically beamed, as his eyes flitted toward the two sets of bows and quivers hanging on the wall – Alec’s larger one, next to Tatsuo’s set.

“I daresay, Alexander, you have a new fan,” Magnus said, winking at Alec, indicating Tatsuo. 

Alec blushed. Tatsuo had already grown on him – he’s always had a soft spot for young kids or those that were clearly in need of help and guidance. Tatsuo definitely presented as such. Not to mention that he was also Magnus’s newfound younger brother. 

The situation reminded him of how he regarded his little brother Max – he felt like he wanted to be a role model and to protect him. That was how he now regarded Tatsuo. Never mind that he was practically the same age as Alec – he was obviously deprived of the basic needs for love and nurturing since he was a child, and this brought out Alec’s brotherly and protective instincts.

Tatsuo was now sitting at the table, having gotten himself a few scoops of ice cream, and seemed to be in utter bliss. Alec’s heart warmed upon seeing the warlock so happy.

Magnus turned to Alec. 

“C’mon, I’m sure you worked up an appetite, darling,” he asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

Alec turned to him and smiled. They entwined hands and walked to the table to make themselves plates of food and drink.

They took seats on either side of Tatsuo, and the three ate quietly for a short while.

“So,” Tatsuo said shyly, his eyes going from Magnus, then to Alec, “How did you two meet?”

Both Alec and Magnus looked at one another. “Uhh, that’s a really long story,” Magnus laughed. He gave Alec an affectionate glance, as he sent a small flare of blue magic at Alec’s torso, making him jump.

“Hey! No tickling without warning!” Alec protested, moving away. But he was smiling as he did it. “

Why don’t you tell the story, Magnus, you are so much better at it,” Alec suggested. 

It was true – when it came to relegating tales of adventures or occurrences from days of old, Magnus could make anything sound extraordinary. 

Then again, most of his tales were pretty extraordinary. When one’s lived 400+ years, life tended to end up full of interesting tales to tell.

But of course, the one story that Magnus held close to his heart would be how he met Alec; the level to which they overcame bias, and preconceived notions from both Shadowhunter and Downworlders alike—and to both hold high posts in each society – was previously unheard of.

And the way they both persevered – through many episodes caused by lack of communication and assumptions about one another – to build what they had together today – was certainly worth taking note of.

“Well, I am pretty good at telling stories, Alexander’s right about that,” Magnus said, giving Alec an affectionate smile. He sat back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face, as he looked at an expectant Tatsuo.

“Ah, that’s right -- It all started with a Downworlders’ Rave – which I was holding at my club Pandemonium—and I had agreed to meet with these four Shadowhunters, who claimed they had an old heirloom of mine that they wished to return…” 

…

All three had become so engrossed in the story, especially Tatsuo, who kept whooping as Magnus described various battles that the fiancés had participated in – that they had not realized that 3-4 hours had passed. By then, plates had been filled and emptied, and both Tatsuo and Alec may have taken one too many sandwiches. Both were yawning like crazy at the table. Magnus smiled knowingly.

“Food Coma?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Yea, seems like it,” Alec muttered, already feeling incredibly tired. Next to him, Tatsuo attempted to stifle a yawn, but failed. He blushed again.

Magnus chuckled. “You two should take a nap upstairs in the sanctuary. I spelled the environment so that it is always at its most accommodating, and it can also be controlled by Alec to both of your liking,” he suggested. 

Alec gave Magnus a look as if to protest, but Magnus waved it away. 

“I’m not tired at all,” Magnus said. “Besides, I have a few things to do, including catching up on some of this Kingly business here. I’ve been putting it off since I wanted to give Tatsuo my utmost attention.: He leaned over to ruffle Tatsuo’s hair. “But since he’s tired as well, maybe this is the perfect time for me to catch up with things. Why don’t you two nap, then wake up in 1-2 hours, and we can meet downstairs again.”

“If you’re sure…” Alec said, still sounding a bit uncertain.

“Just go. I would feel much better if Tatsuo was under your care when napping. Would you mind doing that for me, my love?” Magnus asked in a dulcet tone of voice, looking at Alec from under lowered lashed.

Alec inhaled sharply. He could never refuse Magnus when he looked at him that way…”Okay, okay,” he murmured. He turned to Tatsuo. “C’mon kid, let’s rest up. And then we can continue with archery once we are more refreshed.”

“Sure,” Tatsuo agreed, smiling. Alec then threw up his hand and conjured up a portal. He stuck out his hand to Tatsuo, who immediately took it and smiled at him. Then Tatsuo looked at Magnus, his eyes shining. “Brother, thank you so much for everything,” he said softly. “You have no idea how happy you have made me today. This is beyond anything I could have dreamed of..”

Magnus started tearing up, his gold cat eyes blazing brighter than ever.

“Of course, Tatsuo. You are family, and you have a good soul. I’m going to take care of you. We are going to take care of you,” he said, his gaze genuine and true as he addressed his brother.

Tatsuo nodded, his heart full. Then Alec and he walked through the portal and disappeared. 

Magnus stood there for a moment, smiling to himself. Things were very good, so incredibly good right now.

But ugh, now the Kingly stuff. He was so not looking forward to this. Sighing, he walked toward the Throne Room.

….

Magnus walked into the room and sat upon the throne.

Immediately there was an additional buzzing under his skin other than his magic. 

He could feel the power from the castle, having channeled the power of Edom in a very concentrated form, and infusing it within him as he sat there. He shuddered as he recalled how it had grabbed both him and Alec a few days ago – when he had not voluntarily claimed the throne as King and had taken the decision out of their hands.

As far as he knew, that had only occurred because the power became unstable when it remained unclaimed, wreaking all sorts of havoc. But after someone had claimed the throne, then it was (hopefully) more table.

_Your Imperialness,_ the Castle spoke. _Since you are sitting on the throne, it is assumed that you will be able to meet with your subjects. Would you say that this is the case?_

Uh, I guess so? Magnus replied, a bit uncertain. 

_Ok, well, there have been several requests, some of which are disputes -- that has been particularly of concern has been two lesser demons who resides around the West part of Edom._

Upon reading the filed documents regarding this case, each demon was saying that they had a disagreement and burnt each other’s home to the ground. Now they have nowhere to live, and so they were blaming the other. This led to scarring one another with fire on a daily basis. 

It certainly appeared to be a never-ending cycle, and ultimately they would just end up killing one another.

But in Edom, demons can regenerate themselves.

So, Magnus wondered why they didn’t just fight to the death, then regenerate -- to fight another day. 

But then the Castle explained to him that if they were to regenerate, then they wouldn’t get to 100% for a very long time.

This would ultimately affect status, bragging rights, and ability to defend themselves… No one ever wanted to start from scratch.

So instead they have been fighting for the good part of 2 weeks, hobbling back with injuries, ready for another fight. 

Magnus wanted to laugh for the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, but he truly needed to learn to hold his tongue, especially if he were to see them face to face. True, he was the son of Asmodeus and now the King of Edom.

But he was not familiar with the denizens of the land, or how they would react to him, or act in his presence. So he needed to be cautious and tread lightly. 

He would need to exert his power when in their presence to show that he had the power, but that he was willing to hear them out and make a fair decision.

_Very well,_ he thought. _Prepare to receive these two. I will hear their case today._

As you wish, Your Imperialness, the Castle said.

He threw out a fire message to both parties, summoning them to the Castle.

Soon there was the sound of wind whooshing by, right outside the door.

_Your subjects are here_, the Castle said. _You may invite them in, they are of no danger to you._

Thank you, I shall receive them in the foyer, Magnus thought.

Using his wrist, he flicked the door open. Two ragged looking lesser demons were standing there, glaring at one another.

Magnus looked upon them. 

They both saw him wearing the crown atop his head, and consequently they both bowed. “My King,” they both said politely.

“You may rise, Naamah, Ronove,” Magnus said, reciting the names he had seen on the scripture.

As one of them got up, one of them stared at him. “You’re not King Asmodeus the Great,” he said in surprise.

Magnus lifted his chin. “No, I am not. That’s my father. I put him where no one comes back from,” he said, flashing him his gold cat eyes. 

The lesser demon blanched. “Uh, I think we can settle this dispute ourselves, don’t you think, Naamah?” he asked. The other lesser demon also looked apprehensive.

This was really starting to test Magnus’s patience. The buzzing under his skin increased in turn

Enough!” he roared, his voice way darker than he remembered it being. Both demons cowered They were both trembling.

“Look," Magnus said impatiently, "I just became King and you have this dispute. I need to help you two fix it! Now go into the foyer, now!” 

Without a word, both scurried into the foyer, and sat on the bench in the area. Magnus walked in and took his place at the table where the documents were. 

“Okay, so I see there was a dispute, that resulted in both of you burning down your homes. Is the nature of this dispute still valid? Or is the feud now due to the fact that both your homes are burnt down?”

The two lesser demons looked at one another. 

“Uh,” Naamah said. “I don’t remember why we were even fighting in the first place…”

“Me neither,” Ronove said. Both looked very confused.

Magnus rolled his eyes. Egad, these lesser demons…

He fixed his stare at both of them. 

“So, are you saying, that if your homes were both intact, then you two would no longer be keeping up with this ridiculous feud, and hurting one another every day?” he asked.

Naamah and Ronove both blinked. “I guess so?” they said in unison, both suddenly very uncertain.

Magnus sighed loudly. 

“Very well,” he said, and snapped his fingers. 

A large portal opened suddenly, showcasing two decent sized domiciles in Western part of Edom.

“Hey, that’s the area where we live!” Naamah said. 

“And those are your new homes. They are exactly the same in terms of structure, one is spelled for Naamah, and the other spelled for Ronove," Magnus explained. “But please, please, please no more brawls day in day out, you were causing fires to erupt and burn down whatever little trees and plant life we had around in Edom. Please refrain from burning each other’s homes and each other again.”

Ronove and Naamah had both gotten up. They both seemed flabbergasted.

“My King – that was a nice thing you did,” Naamah said slowly. “The former King would have blasted us both back to our region without resolution_.” Or worse_, the unspoken certainty hung in the air between them.

“Well,” Magnus said, “You’re lucky I’m much more diplomatic than my father. But I could still banish you if you cross me.” 

Both lesser demons saw the look in Magnus’s eyes, and they started backing away from him. 

“Yes, My King. Thank you again,” they both squeaked. Then they turned and half ran, half stumbled through the portal. The portal closed behind them.

Magnus sighed. What a needless case, he thought.

_That was a very restrained and good decision on your part, My King,_ the Castle said. _Your father would have yelled at them for being nuisances then blast them. He did not value lesser demons at all…_

Did he value them? Magnus thought to himself. He just saw as beings who had a dispute that could be resolved, and then he just did, since he had the power to help….

_And that’s why you are so very different from your father,_ the Castle said. _Perhaps even a much better King._

A small smile tugged at his lips, despite himself. It did feel good to be praised like that.

Getting up from his seat, he headed back toward the throne room again.

………………..

Two hours later, Magnus was arms-deep into ordinances and documents associated with Edomic law, to see if some of the other disputes could be resolved via having knowledge of this information.

Better for things to be settled through nonviolent means, as opposed to just throwing one's hands up and blasting the offenders into the abyss. 

Undoubtedly, that had been Asmodeus's more preferred means of dealing with many of these cases. 

_Efficiency is a virtue after all_, he could hear his father saying. The smaller amount of lesser demons inhabiting Edom, the better, as they just seemed to be clogging up the pipeline, so to speak.

He suddenly sensed something magical behind him. The soft swooshes of a portal forming emerged. 

He turned around. 

Alec, with his gold cat eyes out and alliance rune softly glowing purple, walking out with his brother, Tatsuo, who stifled a yawn.

He smiled at them. "I hope you both got some good rest. You guys were knocked out for awhile," he said. 

Alec walked toward Magnus and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Hey, you," he whispered lovingly. "Yea, totally like a baby. It's so peaceful up there. Tatsuo was out like a light as soon as he laid down in the field." 

He turned and smiled adoringly at the young warlock, who was still blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"Who's tired?" Tatsuo mumbled, blinking twice. "I'm not tired." He rubbed at his eyes, yawning again.

Magnus chittered. "He's so cute," he said affectionately.

Tatsuo wrinkled his nose. "Are we going to learn more magic or to practice archery again? I really had fun doing those," he said.

Alec turned to Tatsuo. 

"I certainly don't mind running now drills with you. The more you do it, the more it becomes more natural and you can figure out how best to perfect your stance and coordinate simultaneously. For me, it gives me such a sense of calm when running drills in my own -- I end up getting into a meditative state while doing so, " he said. 

He turned to Magnus. 

"And I'm sure you have more magic related to protecting myself that you wanted to show me also," he said.

Magnus nodded. "Indeed I do," he said. "Granted, our rings offer some protection already, along with our runes. But learning how to throw your magic in offense is just as important as defense. You just never know what you might encounter, and it's good to have this skill in your arsenal." 

"Of course," Alec said, smiling at Magnus.

"Better reflexes and reaction time in the face of danger is always a plus. Practice makes perfect. What do you say we work with some simulations in the training area in a bit?" he asked. 

Magnus turned to Tatsuo. 

"Actually, this would be good training for you too. You should participate in the simulation as well. You and Alec can work together in some of the exercises," he said warmly.

Tatsuo nodded eagerly. "I would love to do that!" he said happily, clapping his hands together.

"And who knows," Alec added, smiling, "Maybe a bit more of Tatsuo’s magic will come through in the process."

Magnus nodded. "Exactly," he affirmed.

.....

“Alexander! You need to anticipate the offense coming seconds of one another. Remember, Greater Demons have that capability!”

“… Do not look at their eyes, you may be susceptible to their other more subtle types of magic!”

“Tatsuo, aim for their heart, they will disintegrate! And when in doubt, crouch and cover your face – at least we know you can deflect smaller amounts of magical offense –” Magnus was shouting, as he ran past them, barrel-rolling and leaping over the two, while blasting varying intensities of magic at the two at dizzying frequencies and intervals. 

He was also throwing in harmless – and some not so harmless spells – into the fray, just to keep it engaging and active. Greater Demons, after all, couldn’t be trusted to be predictable.

Magnus had a joyous smile on his face, effortlessly .

He admittedly was having a blast doing this. He was rarely this active during battles, as his power was often enough to overpower most enemies – most could not withstand the power of Imperial lineage/of a Fallen Angel. 

But for Alec and Tatsuo’s sake, he had to make this real. So he just went for it.

Meanwhile, Alec was huffing and puffing, while trying his best not to glare at Magnus or to give him incredulous looks. He knew that they needed to do this, but at the moment he just couldn’t’ help but think that Magnus was just simply _grandstanding_ and being overly _EXTRA._

“Magnus!” he managed to yell out, red blasts of magic just missing him as he dodged out of the way – thankfully the protective nature of the ring was working, there was a buzzing just as the fiery onslaught zoned in upon him. – _three times in less than 15 minutes!_

Turning back, he saw the blasts hit the wall on the far end, causing a deep giant hole. 

Whirling back around, he threw Magnus an incredulous look.

“You shot that – at ME???!” Alec yelled. “I’m your fiancé! That would have blown me to bits!”

He only received an infuriating grin and fluttering of eyelashes from Magnus.

“But it didn’t, darling, did it. C’mon I’m sure you’re used to worst things, Shadowhunter,” Magnus drawled.”

Oh, he was going to totally get him back later! Alec thought, even as his eyes dilated, and blood flow suddenly was flowing toward a body region that he didn’t need to happen right at this moment.

He cursed inwardly, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to concentrate on the attacks.

“Tatsuo! Get over there, position yourself!” he yelled over to Tatsuo, who automatically did so.

Alec couldn’t remember ever running back and forth _this_ much, along with being mindful of using his magic – as opposed to just relying on instinct and tactical strategies. 

He kept forgetting to pay attention to the signals his magical core was giving to him. That would start up based upon his instincts, and he needed to concentrate in order to bring that to his fingertips.

This exhausted him quickly. But still he soldered on. 

After three hours or so, both Alec and Tatsuo had completed quite a number of battle simulations, completely with breaks in between. 

Now they were both spent. 

Tatsuo was physically tired from the scenarios for the most part. While some of his magic did come out, it was nothing more than deflecting whatever came at him. 

However that was still better than nothing, as it provided a basic level of protection.

He also had used his bow and arrows during some of the simulation, with decent success. Magnus had been quite pleased to see that.

Alec, on the other hand, was weary, as he had not been accustomed to using so much magic at all once going from one scenario to another.

He was able to handle situations well, but Magnus had not held back with him since he felt that Alec absolutely needed to be able to hold his own no matter what the situation -- and especially if his brother was with him.

The onslaught, from one scenario to another, had him reaching for every bit of magic from every pore of his body. Magnus had stopped the simulations upon seeing Alec having slower reaction time due to partial depletion and fatigue.

Alec's head was spinning from everything he needed to remember strategically, especially when it came to fighting Greater Demons -- who were known to be as shrewd as they were quick. 

Right now, he just hoped he wouldn't need to face any of these alone.

Sighing, he snapped himself tall glasses of lemonade for everyone. Tatsuo’s eyes widened as the glass suddenly appeared in his hand, almost dropping it. He turned to look at Alec in surprise.

“Ooh, sorry, I should have warned you about that beforehand,” Alec said apologetically. “Anyway I love lemonade. It’s quite refreshing. Go ahead.”

Tatsuo took a cautious sip. “Mmm, it’s really good,” he said happily. “Thank you, Alec.” His cheeks were pink.

“Anyway,” Alec said authoritatively, “As invigorating and tiring as these exercises have been, thanks to your_ lovely_ brother here --” 

He threw Magnus a mock glare, which Magnus returned in kind by sticking his tongue infuriatingly out at him, “-- we really do need more practice. So, another round, once we have taken an adequate break?”

He looked over at Magnus.

“Why, of course, darling,” Magnus said. He waggled his brows suggestively. “You know, this is certainly giving me _quite the appetite_ –”

_By the angel, that voice ---_

Alec grinned, feeling heat surge from his gut. He felt his gold cat eyes glow brightly. 

“Hell yea,” he growled. “You aren’t getting away from me, later. You’re so getting payback from this.”

“Ooo,” Magnus teased flirtatiously. “Is that a promise?” He batted his eyelashes again.

Alec groaned. “Fuck, Magnus” he groaned. 

_He so couldn’t wait for later._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 to come


	9. Lillith Pays A Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lillith shows up at the Castle of the King. As the new King, Magnus is obligated to allow her in, at least for niceties and congratulations. He safeguards himself with the strongest spells he knows, and sends both Alec and Tatsuo upstairs into the Sanctuary for protection. 
> 
> Then he opens the door to receive her.
> 
> But... This is Lillith, after all.
> 
> This can't end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags already have this but I will re-emphasize:  
DUB-CON situations, abduction, ANGST/PLOT commences

Dressed in a red hooded cape and dress, a figure slowly ambled up the path toward the King’s Castle.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Something was buzzing incessantly 

The figure uttered an exasperated sigh. “Oh come on,” Lillith said crossly, shoving at the right pocket of her dress, “I know what we planned. Stop hounding me, Lucifer!” 

She flipped off the hood to get some air, as it was quite confining. 

Lucifer, as planned, had spelled to be in a satchel -- undetectable by the Castle, currently located in her right pocket.

This way, when Lillith was formally invited into the Castle by the King, Lucifer would cross over the threshold as well, despite his being banned from the Castle due to Asmodeus’s previous decree.

This would work. Taking a deep breath, she stepped up to the doors, and knocked.

“Hello, newly appointed King of Edom, Magnus Bane. It is I, Lillith, coming to pay my respects and homage to you as a subject of the Kingdom of Edom,” she called out.

She felt like gagging. Ugh, this was horrible. But, alas she had to play the game.

And so she stood there, and waited.

…………………..…

_Your Imperialness,_ the Castle beckoned to Magnus.

Eh? Magnus thought, stopped in the middle of a taichi stance. It was early, way early even for Edom. He wondered what was going on.

_There’s someone at the door to see you. Lillith_, the Castle said.

Magnus felt a flare of anger within him. _Lillith._

All he could remember that that she had tried to injure Alec via a battle with the Owl. If he hadn’t gotten there the moment he did….His hands clenched into fists by his side.

_I have scanned her,_ the Castle said. _She doesn’t bear anything harmful to you or anyone dwelling here. I believe she is here to pay you homage, as the new King of Edom._

Magnus sincerely doubted that. However, no matter what citizen’s opinions were of him, there was a level of respect given being the King and his subjects…

Oh very well, he thought. I will portal down, give me a moment.

_As you wish,_ the Castle replied.

Flicking his wrist and waving it down the length of his body, Magnus was now dressed in rich gold with a purple cape. Fitting for a King…

Willing magic into his palms, he flicked both wrists, and started chanting some sort of encantation. Red tendrils of magic curled around fingers and wrapped around his body. Soon he was glowing with red magic from head to toe. He could feel the power of Edom and the throne within him now.

Good, he thought, this should hold up against Lillith. 

“Magnus?”

Magnus whirled around at the sleepy voice of his fiancé. It was Alec, who was looking at him bleary-eyed. 

“Where are you headed to? It feels very early right now,” Alec said sleepily.

“I didn’t think I’d awakened you, my love,” Magnus said with a smile. “I still heard you with your adorable snores..”

“Heeey,” Alec said protesting. He yawned.

“Shh, shh. Now, now you should go get some more sleep. I just need to go downstairs for about 15 minutes and then I will be back. Just some visitors paying homage or something according to the Castle. The Castle has assured me that they bear us no ill will,” he said, half telling a white lie. 

NO sense in telling Alec that it was Lillith. 

He was not sure to what level Alec still felt some trauma at the thought of her and the damage who caused topside all those months ago.

Alec peered over at Magnus. “Are you sure?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Magnus said decisively. “In fact, I would feel better that you are here safe and sound, and asleep with Tatsuo. Okay? Oh, and please throw a protective shield over both of you. Even though you guys are in here, and everything should be safe, we just never know. Can you do that for me right now?” 

“Okay, my love,” Alec conceded.

Standing up, he concentrated on his palms, closing his eyes.

He felt something stirring in his chest. Suddenly his cat eyes glowed fiercely, as blue magic gathered at his palms. Lifting up his arms, he slowly created a protection shield 360 that completely covered the Sanctuary. It was exactly what Magnus had asked him to do.

Magnus came over to him and gave him a lingering kiss. :”Great job, pup,” he teased. 

Alec’s eyes glowed, even as he wrinkled his nose in distaste at the nickname.

“Damn, now I want you to stay, “Alec murmured.

“Well let me finish my business first, and then I’ll come back up and allow you to convince me further,” Magnus murmured in between kisses.

“That sounds good to me,” Alec said, smiling, as he gave Magnus one last kiss on the nose. 

Magnus grinned cutely, flicked open a portal, and stepped through it.

Immediately he was by the doors. 

_Your Imperialness, _the Castle said, _Do you choose to receive a visit from Lillith, Queen of Demons?_

He took a deep breath, adjusting his cape and crown._ Very well, I will receive her at the door, _he thought_._

Magnus opened the front gate. There stood Lillith, in a dress with a red hooded cape with pockets. _The King receives Lillith, Queen of Demons, _the Castle said.

“Lillith,” Magnus stated politely. “I can’t say it’s great to see you, but as the King, I acknowledge your visit in order to pay respects.”

LIllith grimaced. “All these niceties are giving me a headache,” she stated dryly. Then she sighed. “But it’s how things are here I guess.” 

She eyed Magnus’s gold crown with purple jewel in the center, along with the purple cape. Ugh, same color as the Castle exterior and the flashing glitter LED lights on the outside.

The infernal flashing thing was still going on every night, even though it had been over a week since Magnus had claimed the kingdom. Still a huge eyesore. She wondered if he kept that going on purpose. 

“What, they only had the color purple in stock?” Lillith snarked, giving his cape a onceover. “Too bad, I’m more partial to red myself. Too bad you got stuck with purple.”

“I don’t care, purple is a great color. Very royal. Typical of Asmodeus’s line which of course I stem from, since we are of Imperial blood,” Magnus sniffed. Snarky, eh? he thought, well two can play at this game.

“Aren’t you going to formally extend me an invitation, my King?” Lillith asked. “Or are we just going to stand in the foyer the entire time?

Magnus took a deep breath, trying to quell the growing annoyance inside of him. He truly detested Lillith, and that attitude could totally use some adjusting.

He sighed. 

Right, the King also had to personally invite subjects to come in, as part of Royal protocol.

“Lillith, Queen of Demons,” he said, “As the current reigning King of Edom, I invite you into the Castle as a loyal subject of the Kingdom.”

Lillith suddenly smiled, rather strangely. “Thank you, my King, I totally accept your invitation.” She stepped inside. Magnus walked on ahead, going toward the throne room. 

“So we can meet in here,” he said. Lillith followed, looking all around the Castle. She was still bristling slightly. This Castle should have been mine, she thought, not for the first time this week. She could feel her anger simmering beneath her skin. 

  
A slight buzz in her right pocket served as a quick reminder, and her anger immediately dissipated.

Oh, right, she needed to keep her emotions down. She did not need for Magnus to get too suspicious.

Remember, Lillith, we need to get him in a neutral part of the Castle where he is more vulnerable and then we can act. She recalled the instructions again. Okay, she thought, she could do this.

She took a deep breath, and smilaed “Wow this Castle looks great. Definitely different than what it was when Asmodeus was residing. You two very different tastes when it comes to lifestyle and the patrons you choose to keep around you, don’t you,” she said sweetly.

Magnus snorted. “Er, yea. My father and I are very different, indeed,” he said absentmindedly. He wrinkled his nose. It was customary for the King to offer refreshments to subjects. Ugh the last thing he wanted to do was to be nice to Lillith. But..she was a subject, and the Castle had deemed her as a non-adversary today, just a neutral guest. 

He would have to concede.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked politely, trying not to hurl in the process. 

Ugh he couldn’’t even stand talking to Lillith at length. In fact he was probably reaching his limit very, very soon.

Lillith smiled, seeing Magnus’s discomfort. She was enjoying this. 

“Ah, just a glass of wine, if it is readily available,” she stated sweetly. 

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Wine? Of course I have wine. We have a vast selection,” he sniffed. He flicked his wrist andhand immediately procured a bottle of his finest vintage. He displayed it to her, proudly brandishing the label. 

Of course he would have the best, Lillith thought. 

And then a thought came to her. “I bet you have an amazing wine cellar, do you mind giving me a tour?” she asked sweetly.

Magnus gritted his teeth. Every minute more that he stayed in her presence was insufferable. 

But, right – royal niceties. 

“Uh, sure,” he said, doing his best to sound accommodating. He got up from his seat. “Right this way. There's a trapdoor by the far end that leads to the wine cellar,” he said with a flourish of his hand, gesturing in that direction. “After you.”

“Oh, how gallant,” Lillith said, trying to remain sweet.

She started walking in the direction of the trap door. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out the next step. Her right pocket buzzed yet again, a bit more insistently.

“Okay, okay!” Lillith muttered.

“What was that?” Magnus inquired innocently.

“Nothing, just talking to myself,” Lillith said. 

She and Magnus reached the trap door, and he lifted it open. They both started walking down the short spiral staircase, being extra careful because the area was a bit dim. 

Upon reaching the bottom, Lillith could see the large room with arrays of barrels and wines/liquors on shelves. 

“Quite an impressive array,” Lillith said, genuinely impressed. 

“Yes, I aim to please,” Magnus said, smirking. “So this is the wine cellar. My father made it a point to search and stock up on some of the rarest wines and spirits, since he liked to imbibe and entertain often.” 

He started walking along the shelves, using his fingers to lightly brush along some of the more aged bottles on shelves to the right of him.

Lillith’s right pocket buzzed twice, even more insistently now.

Lillith rolled her eyes. 

She took a deep breath. It was time. She narrowed her eyes as she focused on Magnus a few feet away. 

A sinister smile crept on her face. 

Magnus had made a mistake getting a bit ahead of her. Now she had the advantage…

“I would have arranged this cellar quite differently,” she said idly, “If this was mine.”

Magnus, with his back to her, didn’t move. 

Hm, that was odd, he thought. 

He detected a slight change in LIllith’s voice.

Instinctively the magic in his core flared within him, and started to rush through his veins, heading to his hands. 

“What do you mean by that?” he spoke slowly and carefully, as to not raise any suspicion on Lillith’s part.

“I should have become Queen of this Castle after Asmodeus went MIA, not you,” she said. “I don’t get how just because of blood, you get to inherit this Castle without even residing in Edom in the first place.”

Magnus whirled around. 

“Oh, so you have been harboring this thought all this time, eh?” he said incredulously. 

He should have known! The nerve.

Ha, it was laughable how he had believed that she had come with no ill intent. 

But because the Castle had said that it had not detected anything on her, he had believed it and was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Yea, right. He should have known better. 

He was just thankful that he had thought to arm himself with the most powerful spells that the Castle and his father had to offer before receiving her. So he was not too afraid right now. 

But still, he had been taken by surprise -- and that never felt good to him.

He swallowed hard, but attempted to remain self- assured as he addressed the Queen of Demons.

“Well this Castle wasn’t yours, or anyone else’s to begin with. It was my father’s, he is my blood, we are Imperial, and thus I had a right to it,” Magnus declared. “Perhaps I was not keen on becoming King in the beginning, and even less thrilled that one way or another my destiny was going to catch up with me, no matter how I tried to avoid it – but I have accepted it.” 

Magnus took a deep breath. 

“Thus, I am your reigning King, and this is my Castle,” Magnus concluded, his voice having lowered to that of a growl. “And you are being extremely disrespectful. You will not disrespect me, your King, in my own Castle.”

Lillith’s eyes narrowed even further, and without warning, she shot out fire from both her hands, aimed at Magnus. 

Magnus’s eyes widened for a brief second before he raised his arms and red Edomic flames blocked her aim, sending it right back to Lillith. 

Her right pocket started buzzing incessantly once again.

“Lucifer, activate,” Lillith murmured.

Suddenly, a red shield surrounded LIllith, and the flames that Magnus had sent to her, bounced off. 

In doing so, the flames turned blue and white and now were heading at Magnus with twice the speed.

Magnus’s eyes widened as those white-blue flames hit him at full force, he barely even had time to register that his flames had come back right back at him. 

He was immediately thrown back, hard, a few feet, straight into the wall of wines, with a sickening crash, with glass shattering all over the place. 

The sound was so loud that it probably could have been heard within a 2 mile radius of where they were.

But alas, the wine cellar had been soundproofed for one reason or another, so no one would be able to hear the commotion. 

Also, Asmodeus had inadvertently spelled the wine cellar so that no interfering magic from the outside could affect it, or come through.

Both of which was very unfortunate situaitons for Magnus, who was lying in a broken, unconscious heap where he had crashed, along with broken wine bottles and wine all over the floor.

A few feet away, Lillith impassively watched Magnus lying there, not moving. 

Her lips twisted into a gruesome smile. Suddenly there was a poof of smoke. 

When the smoke cleared, the tall figure of Lucifer stood next to Lillith, tuttuting at his nephew, currently in his predicament.

“Damn Lilllith,” Lucifer said, “Took you long enough to get Magnus where we wanted him.” He shook his head. “I probably would have been able to get it done quicker.”

Lillith turned to him, her eyes blazing. 

“Oh, right,” she huffed. “You are one to talk. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even have been able to make it into the Castle, because you were banned by Asmodeus! Not to mention that you even lost the rights to your OWN Castle -- ahem, _this one_ – due to a game! Seriously Lucifer that has to be the most laughable situation all around, so you really can’t talk.”

They both glared at one another. 

Finally Lucifer sniffed. 

All that was so provincial anyway. 

What was most important was that they got Magnus where they wanted him. 

He sauntered over to where Magnus lay, unconscious. He picked him up and hoisted him over his shoulder. Then he looked up at Lillith, who was giving him a questioning look. 

“Listen, we need to go back to my lair,” he said. “There’s things to be done.”

Lillith nodded. “Right after you,” she said sweetly.

Lucifer flicked open a portal.

The portal glowed silver and gold. Lillith stared at it. That was the most incredible looking portal she had ever seen. 

She looked at Lucifer again, who was smirking at her. 

“That’s right, Lillith,” he said smugly. “DO NOT CROSS ME.”

Lillith shuddered inwardly, but kept a smile on her face. 

“Who said I was going to, Lucifer? We are working together to get what we want. Control of Edom. And we just got the key player right there,” she said, gesturing toward Magnus, who Lucifer was carrying.

They both walked through the portal, and then the portal disappeared.

…..

A minute later, in a rocky lair in an unknown place, the air shimmered, and a silver and gold portal opened. Lucifer stepped out, carrying a still unconscious Magnus, with Lillith stepping out behind him.

“Okay,” Lucifer said. He walked over to a cot in the corner and laid Magnus down. 

Furrowing his brows in concentration, he willed magic into his hands – crackling purple magic started sparking like crazy, and he directed this at Magnus’s hands.

Suddenly a pair of cuffs appeared on Magnus’s hands. The crackling purple magic still surrounded the cuffs, as Lucifer quickly glamoured both himself and Lillith invisble.

Magnus’s eyes flew open simultaneously at that moment. His head hurt, and he felt really woozy.

What happened? he thought blearily, as his eyes adjusted. 

The area was brightly lit with flames on the sides, but his sight was still blurry. There were also unfamiliar smells too.

He knew he was no longer in the wine cellar. But that was impossible. 

The last thing he recalled was leading Lillith down into the wine cellar, she had made a threat and tried to throw magic at him, and he effectively blocked it…

Didn’t he? 

But if that’s the case, then how was it that he was somewhere else other than the wine cellar?

Magnus started to try to move his hands, but ack -- there was something keeping his wrists together! He struggled with them, but they were steadfast. Then he attempted to will magic into them to try to break them. 

But wait – something was wrong. 

No magic was flowing! He concentrated again. Still nothing!

Wait --- he tried to peer more closely at what was binding his wrists together. They came into focus. Shackles! 

And not just regular shackles, they were the magic-dampening kind! So he was essentially useless. Argh!

He scanned the room quickly. No one was around – or was to the naked eye. But he knew better. If they were still in the room, then they were probably glamoured right now. 

But because he didn’t have his magic at his disposal, he couldn’t’ detect it. Oh holy hell, this was a nightmare ---

He couldn’t take it! His temper flared --

Magnus roared. “What the hell?” he shrieked. “Who the hell did this to me!!! Was it you, Lillith? But that’s impossible. With my father’s magic, our magic is Imperial! It would have bested your magic, easiliy!” He continued to struggle with the shackles at his wrists, despite knowing it was futile.

“Magnus,” a gravelly voice said.

The voice was deep and unfamiliar – and yet, something within Magnus recognized it. 

Magnus stilled. “Who said that?” he demanded. “How do you know my name?” He was trying to remain calm, although it was very hard to do, given that he was powerless at the moment.

“Look to your left,” the voice said.

Immediately Magnus turned his head, just as a poof of Smoke filled the room. Magnus coughed, as his eyes watered, attempting to adjust shi vision. 

Soon, a tall hulking figure, with slightly greenish skin, dressed In red robes, stood right next to him, a smirk playing around his lips.

Actually, that smirk looked very,.very familiar -- but Magnus couldn’t quite place it.

But that remained the least of his worries. This was his kidnapper!

“Why did you do this to me?” he asked haughtily. “Who are you? I don’t even know you! Do you know who I am? I am the reigning King of Edom. Now get these Shackles off of me!”

Even Magnus knew it was futile. The King’s magic was supposed to be Imperial, above everyone’s elses in all the land. For his magic to be bested by someone else – it was likely that this magic was also Imperial of some level – to even begin to either interfere, compete, or to overcome Magnus’s magic.

The figure threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

“What, Asmodeus never mentioned me? Granted I never had the distinct pleasure of meeting you when you stayed here in Edom with your father all those years ago –”

Magnus stiffened. This being knew about that?? His eyes widened.’

The figure laughed. “But I heard great things. . You were as formidable as your father, maybe even more so, as he taught you everything he knew. You two went around the world, attacking, vanquishing, and taking whatever you wanted,” the figure said. “Even though I was not readily around during those days. I would hear stories, and I was quite proud. After all, it does run in the family…”

That did it. Magnus sputtered. “What?! Familyi? What do you mean? I only have –”

And Magnus immediately shut his mouth. He had almost given away the existence of Tatsuo. And no, he was not going to do that. No one was going to get to Tatsuo. He would protect the identity of his little brother, even with his own life if needed.

“That’s right, you only had Daddy to protect you, and now for some reason he is MIA,” the individual laughed. “Well, news flash, he was not your only family. And this wasn’t even his Castle to begin with. This was MY Castle once, before your father won it from me.”

Magnus froze. What? Asmodeus never mentioned anything – well he probably would have if Magnus had not launched an outright attack against him and exiled him back to Edom all those years ago…

“Wow,” the figure said, looking at him. “He really never mentioned me, eh?”

Magnus slowly shook his head.

“I’m Lucifer, the Devil in the flesh,” the figure announced. “Your father, Asmodeus, is my nephew.” 

Magnus’s eyes widened. “I thought you were just a myth, made up to scare us as kids. You are supposed to be all powerful, but never really consorting with the other immortals,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. 

Lucifer smirked. “Anyway, well it turns out that not only I’m very much real, but we are related.” He started walking around, tuttuting.” Man that Asmodeus was really something,” he mused, “Hooking up with that Mundane woman in Indonesia. Well then again, she was quite the looker with a really luscious looking ass –”

“Hey, you don’t talk about my mother like that!” Magnus shrieked, now thrashing against the cuffs in earnest. 

“Oh, wow. So sorry about that,” Lucifer said, suddenly sounding genuinely sorry. “I didn’t realize that was your mother. I do have my manners still, to some extent. Of course Asmodeus would have picked her, he has exemplary taste,” he said. 

Magnus blinked, temporarily forgetting the current state he was in. Was he for real? This change of personality confused him – but not for long. 

“Uh, I don’t get why you needed to kidnap me,” he lamented.

Lucifer shook his head, with a mixture of amusement and sorrow. “It’s nothing personal, Magnus. Just so you know,” he said, “You were the next in line for King, after Asmodeus went MIA. But this Castle was mine to begin with. The only way I can do this is through you,” he said.

“B-But I would just give this over to you,” Magnus stated. “I didn’t even want to be King in the first place!”

Lucifer smirked. “Yea, that’s really easy to say to someone,” he hummed. “And I might have considered your offer if it was just me. But no, someone else wants in too.” With that, suddenly Lillith stepped into the room, from seemingly thin air.

Magnus looked at her with horror. “Lillith?! You teamed up with Lillith?” he said. “No! Why would you do that?”

Lillith stepped forward and smiled sinisterly at Magnus. Reaching out with a perfectly hand with red lacquer, she ran her fingers up and down his arm. He flinched.

“Because,” she said in low, dangerous tone of voice, “ I want to rule. But the only way I can do that is to marry the current King.” 

She then wrinkled her nose. “Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” she said, sighing. “But this is the way it has to be.”

Magnus looked like he’d rather die. “Uh, what??! “ he shrieked, his eyes widening. “NO, No way, no how –"

Suddenly a strong hand had grabbed hold of Magnus’s chin, rendering him immobile. Shit, Magnus thought helplessly. He looked up. Lucifer’s face was very close to him, and he was looking intensely into his eyes. 

“Sleep, Magnus. Sleep now,” he commanded. 

Oh god, Magnus thought, a bit too late. He was doing something similar to an Encanto –

A sensation started flowing thorugh his veins. His stream of consciousness dropped, as everything turned to black. Then Magnus was just lying there limply on the cot.

Both Lucifer and Lillith looked down at Magnus, shaking their heads. “That was…a little too easy, don’t you think?” Lillith commented. “I expected him to put up more of a fight.”

Lucifer stated, “Well I did take his magic away. After that, there wasn’t much he could do,” he said, shrugging. “Anyway, let’s get to it.”

He bent over, and rolled Magnus on his side. Lifting the back of his tunic, he hovered over the middle of Magnus’s back with his index finger. He muttered some words in an odd language, and suddenly the fingertip was glowing purple. 

He started to move the finger in a loopy fashion, just slightly above Magnus’s skin. A shape started taking form, burning itself into Magnus’s skin. “That’s the demonic rune I was talking about,” Lucifer said to Lillith, who was watching this process with great fascination. “With this I will eventually have control over him.”

“And what of this other rune on his hand?” Lillith inquired, pointing to the rune on Magnus’s hand.

“Oh, that? Pshhh,” Lucifer stated, rolling his eyes. “That’s nothing. This one will eventually overcome that one. Whatever that is, it will eventually be deactivated.”

Lillith nodded. Then she shrugged. Not that she really cared in the least, anyway.

When the demonic run had been drawn onto Magnus’s back, Lucifer stepped back for a moment to admire his work. Then he opened up his hand and placed it palm down, covering the entire rune. Closing his eyes, he willed magic into this hands, flowing into the rune for a few minutes. 

Magnus’s body lurched for a moment as the unfamiliar magic flowed into his back. Then he was still again. 

Lucifer then flicked his wrist, and the demonic rune disappeared from view. “I glamoured it, so not even he will know it is there,” he explained to Lillith. He then pulled Magnus’s shirt back in place, and rolled him on his back. 

Lillith nodded, scrutizing Magnus, whose eyes were still closed, his body unmoving, as he was still unconscious.

“Now its’ your turn,” he said.

“Oh?” she asked. “What do I do?”

“You are supposed to make his soul more susceptible to darkness,” he explained. “Do it the way that you know how. Here, I’ll help you a little bit.” 

Lucifer snapped his fingers, and Magnus let out a small sigh, even as his eyes remained closed. “There you go,” he said. “He is now more in a dream state, and very open to suggestion. If you go and kiss him, he will most return it.”

Ah, Lilllith thought, smiling serenely. She stepped forward until she was standing right above the head of the cot. Kneeling down, she bent down, using one hand to cup Magnus’s face. 

He really was good looking, maybe even better than Asmodeus, she thought. Too bad they were mortal enemies, she thought. Well, maybe not for long, if this should come to pass…

She bent her head and kissed his left cheek, then on his right. Then she dipped her head even more, to kiss him slowly on the lips, softly caressing his upper and lower lip with her own until they were slightly open. She proceeded to kiss him deeper as she probed his mouth slowly with her tongue. 

Slowly, but surely, she felt his mouth move against hers, tentatively as first, then more as he met her movements. Soon they were kissing rather deeply, their tongues wrapped and moving around one another. 

His hands were bound by the cuffs, but he was arching his neck up to meet her demands, and soon both their breaths became ragged.

Damn he’s a good kisser, Lillith had to admit. She had to admit that she was getting into it. At one point, she even lifted her mouth and started kissing his neck, even daring to nip and suck a purple bruise into his skin. He gasped, and arched his back, even as his eyes stayed closed. 

Okay, so she had gotten slightly carried away by this. She pulled back and surveyed him for a moment.

First things first…

Concentrating hard, she willed some magic to the forefront. She leaned in against and caught his mouth into a kiss. She then started infusing some magic into him via the kiss. 

This seemed to intensify the kiss, as they both responded to one another even more passionately than before.

When she had infused enough into him, she lifted her mouth from his. He returned to resting position, his eyes still closed.

She was a bit abashed that she was having trouble catching her breath. She caught Lucifer looking at her with slight amusement. 

“Shut up,” she said crossly. “I wouldn’t’ even be doing this if I didn’t have to marry him to get what I want.”

Lucifer shrugged. “Whatever you say, Lillith,” he said easily. “But you did look like you were having a great time. Can’t imagine how wild the bedroom’s going to be with you two.”

“Lucifer!” she protested. “I’m not even thinking about that now. I already need to do so many infernal things just to get where I want to be. Can we skip discussing this?”

“Sure, Lillith, whatever you want,” Lucifer murmured. He nodded at her. ‘Okay, now that this is done, I’m going to portal him back to the wine cellar. I’ll be right back.”

He flicked his wrist, and suddenly the cuffs were gone. He hoisted Magnus over his shoulder, and stepped through. In minutes he was back in the wine cellar, where Magnus had laid unconscious after hitting the wall of shelves. He laid Magnus down where he had been before. 

“Okay, this is going to wear off in about half an hour,” Lucifer said, “and then you won’t remember anything about the time at my lair. However, to you, only minutes would have passed, so no one woulid have really missed you at all.” 

He stepped away, looking down at a still unconscious Magnus. 

“See you later,” he said cryptically, as he flicked a portal open, stepped in and disappeared.

………………………………….

Magnus slowly opened his eyes, feeling like he was awakening from a deep sleep.

Ick, why was he wet? he wondered, feeling something soaking through his tunic. As his vision cleared, he noticed where he was. He was lying in a puddle of…wine and wine bottles? He was in the wine cellar?

Why was he here? And why were several bottles of wine cracked and broken all around him?

Oh no, had he gone on some kind of bender? But he had been good as of late, no need to drink at all.

Maybe being King stressed you out, he thought, and he came down for a drink or two.

Hmm, that certainly didn’t sound like him. But he had no idea of what it could be…

Slowly he picked himself up. With a flick of his wrist, he magicked a new outfit on himself. 

Hmm, he’d better go back upstairs. Alec and Tatsuo must be wondering where he was,” he thought. 

He started walking toward the stairs that would lead him to the trapdoor back to ground level.

……………..

“Alexander, Tatsuo,” he said, stepping out of the portal into the Sanctuary. Alec and Tatsuo were both playing a game of chess. Both looked up when he addressed them.

“Hey,” Alec said, getting up and walking to Magnus, dropping a kiss on his cheek. “How was the visit with Lillith?”

“Ah, Lillith?” Magnus asked blankly, as if confused. Then he seemed to shake his head. “Oh right, she came, and she left. Forgettable. Anyway I don’t want to talk about it,” he said quickly. 

It was a bit too quickly for Alec’s taste, as he raised an eyebrow at Magnus. But he decided not to pursue it, as Magnus had moved on to chat with Tatsuo. Tatsuo’s eyes were shining as he talked animatedly with his older brother. 

Then Alec saw it, a deep purple bruise right on Magnus’s neck, right below his ear. “Shit,” Alec said, causing Magnus to turn and look at him questioningly. 

“Just saw this,” Alec said, taking a finger and pushing on it. 

Magnus flinched slightly. The area was still tender. 

“Sorry about that,” Alec said apologetically, even as he grinned. “I don’t even remember giving that to you, but I do know we do get extremely carried away at times.”

“And I love it when you do,” Magnus said, grinning. He stepped close to Alec, touching his lips lightly to his. 

Funny enough, Magnus himself didn’t recall Alec giving him that mark either, but then again, as Alec said, they did tend to get carried away several times over their relationship.

So, he didn’t give it a second thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 10 to come


	10. Strange Occurrences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus starts having issues with his magic, along with other strange occurrences. Alec begins to notice something's wrong.
> 
> Meanwhile, Lucifer checks in with Lillith to see how things are going...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Beta'd. Sorry for any errors

Magnus wasn’t sure how he was feeling right now. 

Ever since a few weeks ago, when he had found himself passed out in the wine cellar, he had been feeling out of sorts, feeling overly tired at times after only a medium amount of magic use, and having dizzy spells. 

He didn’t know why.

Magnus was sparring with both Tatsuo and Alec today, and they hadn’t even reached the halfway point as compared with the last couple of times – and he just felt so worn out he could no longer function. “I’m going to go lie down for a bit,” he had said. 

Tatsuo, not knowing any better, had smiled and wished his brother well.

Alec on the other hand was worried.

“Magnus,” he asked. “What’s wrong.? You’ve seemed to tire so much more easily these days. It doesn’t seem like you…”

Magnus had tried to laugh it off. 

“Eh, maybe age is catching up with it?” he joked feebly.

That didn’t do much to assuage Alec’s worry. 

“But you have not even begun to deplete your magic – why would you be these tired now?” he insisted.’

Magnus didn’t know. 

Alec turned to Tatsuo. “Do you mind if I have a word with your brother for a bit?” he asked.

Which Tatsuo did, graciously. 

Then Alec had conjured up a spa bathtub with jets, and lots of bubbles. He magicked off both their clothing and he had sat in the tub with Magnus, holding him in his arms. This seemed to do the trick with regard to making Magnus relax. He could feel Magnus’s tense muscles loosen up as the bubbling water hit his muscles. 

Magnus just sighed and settled comfortably against Alec’s chest. 

Magnus even took a medium snooze amidst the bubbles, while Alec held him against him, willing extra magic and strength into him.

Little by little, Alec could feel Magnus’s energy rising to acceptable limits. 

Still, the thought of Magnus being so low on energy bothered him in the back of his mind. 

By default he had always depended on Magnus to be the more hardy and powerful one out of them both. True, he had learned a lot from Magnus since they had both come here, but there was still a long way to go.

Plus, Magnus had 400+ of experience, not to mention that he had been the creator of many of those spells. Which just showed that other warlocks couldn’t even hold a candle to him when it came to endurance and casting spells. 

To see Magnus exhaust this early on during the day was something Alec had never experienced before. 

It frightened him. 

However, down there in Edom, there was no one to contact for help. 

No Catarina, no Tessa, no Spiral Labyrinth, no Isabelle, Jace, or his mom. 

All he could do was to rely on instincts – which all pointed to taking care of Magnus in every way possible. 

He made a mental note to conjure up some steak, medium rare, and vodka for Magnus to eat once he awoke from his nap. . 

After awhile, Alec brought Magnus out of the bath, and conjured up gold silk sheets and pillows similar to what he had owned at the loft. These were scented with sandalwood, a scent Magnus held dear to his heart. Magnus had always thought that this combination had rejuvenating and healing properties. 

Alec was not one to buck tradition.

So he laid Magnus down in a pile of silk and pillows, while he went to see what Tatsuo was up to. Interestingly enough, Tatsuo was attempting to play around with the blue energy ball that Magnus had played around with the other day. He was trying to harness more control over it. 

Alec grinned. 

Together they did a back-and-forth game of volleying the ball of energy to see how long they could keep it in the air. 

Surprisingly, Tatsuo was better able to catch this and hurl it back at Alec today, than he had been in the past few days. He was learning quickly! Alec was extremely excited about this!

They were so actively training back and forth, they didn’t see Magnus awaken from slumber. He had opened his eyes, a little confused at where he was, and the fact he was lying on silk pillows scented with sandalwood, like back at the loft. For a second he let himself believe he was back at the loft and that nothing had changed – nothing had threatened his and Alec’s love, they hadn’t been forced to go to Edom to seal the rift and he had not been consequently taken on the title of King due to some old decree…

In the distance he heard the swishing and frequency of the magical ball of energy being thrown about. And then he made out the gorgeous shirtless back of his handsome fiancé, Alec. He was easily wielding the ball of magic, volleying it out, and then catching it. 

Tatsuo then came into view as he volleyed the magic ball right back, and wiht surprisingly more ease than he had in previous days.

Magnus stood aside, watching both of them from a distance. 

Magnus grinned in approval, as Tatsuo’s gold cat eyes beamed every time he volleyed the energy ball back at Alec. There was even one time, where Tatsuo had volleyed it back so powerfully that Alec had nearly stumbled trying to get a hold of it.

Wow, Magnus thought, grinning, Maybe his little brother had improved much more greatly than he had realized over the past few weeks.

He was really happy about that.

Magnus couldn’t wait to start training him with starter spells, to start honing his powers.

…………………

_Later that evening_

Magnus pushed himself away from the table, after having his fill of steak and vodka that Alec had provided for him.

Alec was really something else – he felt so lucky to have him not only as a fiancé, but just someone dependable in his life. Alec knew what to do when he was magic depleted, and it worked like a charm. He felt so much better right now.

Still, as he sat there, relaxing as he watched Alec talk to Tatsuo while eating, he couldn’t rid himself of the anxiety and thoughts from earlier.

He really had been experiencing more odd things that he hadn’t before.

It sounded really odd. But he would fall into a deep sleep, yet not really be sleeping too well due to nightmares and other things. 

In the last few days, he would wake up in a cold sweat, not remembering what he had dreamt. Or the dreams where he would wake up, chest heaving, and out of breath. There were even slight marks on his body. What were those even about? Now he was sure that Alec didn’t cause these. 

Not that these even resembled love bites of any kind, these just looked like more like bruises one would get if someone gave you a beatdown, and they were all over his torso and legs. He didn’t know why. 

Confused, and embarrassed, he had just quietly glamoured them so Alec wouldn’t notice, or start asking questions about them.

Oddly enough, his back was really itchy as of late, too. But that would only come and go, so he paid it no mind.

The other morning, he had woken up, lying on the throne, half-naked even, feeling slightly out of it. He didn’t even know what he had been doing, that he had ended up there . Had he been sleepwalking? He had heard of others who have done things like that. 

Somehow he had also lost his pajama top in the process. For some reason, he was reminded of times when he had lost his shirt while partying at the Pandemonium during his heydays, high and drunk off his ass. 

But the difference was, he no longer partied. And this was Edom. He didn’t even smell of wine this time. So what caused him to lose his pajama top? 

He didn’t even want to know.

Thankfully it had been early enough that no one had noticed. And he had quietly portalled himself back up to the hideout, where Alec had been asleep with Tatsuo at his side.

He stood there, watching them both sleep so peacefully, amidst the grass and the flowers. 

Magnus didn’t see any reason to worry them. 

He was clearly going through something – and it was up to him to figure out what was happening.

********

_Meanwhile, in Lillith’s castle_

“So, how have things been coming along?” Lucifer asked.

Seconds ago, he had arrived in Lillith’s foyer, not even bothering to announce his presence. --- only appearing to her after materializing with a puff of smoke.

Lillith had been sitting around, and barely flickered an eyelash upon his sudden presence.

“Haven’t you heard,” she stated, “that it is incredibly rude to show up at someone’s home uninvited?” She looked at him pointedly.

“Oh, c’mon,” Lucifer said in a charming manner, “We are both working together right now. Surely this could be overlooked, no?”

Lillith rolled her eyes. “Oh, alright,” she said, slightly cross. She turned to look at him. “So, coming to check up on me?”

Lucifer shrugged. “You tell me,” he said diffidently. “How have things been going?

Lillith shrugged. “Things are going according to plan. Magnus has been coming to me, night after night, and I’ve been infusing more darkness into him,” she said. She made a face. “How much longer do I need to do this for?”

Lucifer thought for a moment. “Actually, has he started transforming as of yet?” he asked. “Due to his Imperial blood, if his dark side starts to emerge, then the demon characteristics should come out as well. Like scales. Have you noticed any scales emerging, like near the demonic rune on his back?”

“Not yet,” Lillith said. “How far along do we need to be before those show up?” 

“HIs soul would need to be about 50% corrupted,” he said. He looked at her . “So…I guess you aren’t the job done?”

He had said that last sentence with a touch of irony. 

The look Lillith sent him would have sent any other being in Edom up in flames. She was so annoyed.

“I’m doing the best that I can!” she argued. “It’s just going to take some more time…”

“Oh, and I almost forgot…that annoying Alliance Rune on his hand. Has that started flickering at least?” he asked.

“Why, yes,” Lillith said, as if just being reminded of it. “Last time he came to me, I did notice something flicker on his hand.”

Lucifer nodded in approval.

“Good,” he said. “That will be the first to go. I trust that’s what is holding him and that Nephilim together. Once his soul is corrupted and the manifestation reaches a certain point, then the last step will fall into place when he comes to me of his own will. That will complete the severing of the connection between him and that Nephlim."

Lucifer then furrowed his brows. "Unless," he added, "There is another source of magic similar to Magnus’s nearby to pick it up. But so far, there shouldn't be." His face brightened, looking more confident. "After that connection is severed, that Nephlim will just end up just choking on the red dust on our land, if he doesn't burn from the inside out _first_. A most horrific death, from what I’ve heard…”

Lucifer started grinning. Lillith felt a smile emerge upon her face in response to that.

Great, Lucifer thought, she was in total agreement about the plans. She didn’t seem suspicious that he was planning on pulling the carpet from under her feet, as soon as Magnus starts to manifest. And in fact, she was going to be completely blindsided, since it may just be Magnus who banishes her ---

Meanwhile, Lillith’s mind was spinning, as she continued to grin at Lucifer.

Yea, she was going to trust Lucifer as far as she could throw him – and now she actually could, as he had cooperated with her before when she had snuck him into that satchel to sneak him into the Castle. He hadn’t known this, but in agreeing to do that – he now owed her a favor. He was no longer in balance, as he was now indebted to her. And she could call that in, any way she wanted. He was none the wiser right now, and she did not plan on exploiting this right away.

She would work with him until the end – and THEN blindside him on her own.

***********************************

_A few days later_

Something was glowing on Magnus’s back as he slept deeply. This didn’t seem to bother either Alec or Tatsuo, who were sleeping on either side of Magnus. 

It started off slightly, then grew in intensity as the hours went by. Magnus was still asleep, but his body started to twitch slightly.

The red glow grew and surrounded Magnus from head to toe, making Magnus flinch a few times. But still Magnus did not wake up, although a moan or two appeared to escape from his lips.

Suddenly Magnus’s eyes flew open, his unglamoured gold cat eyes wide and unfocused.

Magnus sat up slowly from where he was lying down, his expression as if in a trance. He stood up, and slowly made his way out of the Sanctuary.   
  


He was still surrounded by that eerie red glow, and now a demonic rune could be seen etched into his back, as if someone had carved it into his skin with a knife. It looked bloody, and it was glowing every so often.

Once he was outside the doorway, he closed the door. 

Then with a wave his hands, he summoned a portal.

He stepped through, and disappeared.

……..

Just then, Alec suddenly woke up, suddenly aware of the empty spot next to him.

Magnus, who should be next to him, was not. Tatsuo was still there though, peacefully sleeping.

Alec’s cat eyes flashed.

Magnus got up in the middle of the night? he thought, confused. Where _would _he be going at this time of night?

Should he go look for him in the castle? Or should he stay here? 

He looked over at Tatsuo. 

A soft smile grew on his face. This kid was really coming along, with both archery, and even his magic. There was just so much potential in him. And one could see how much Magnus loved having actual family to call his own.

He also knew that Magnus was glad that Alec had accepted Tatsuo into their lives, and was helping to train him on things. He himself felt a duty to Tatsuo also, as if he was his own little brother. Back in New York , he would dote on Max. To keep him safe, and to make him feel secure.

These were things he wanted to do for Tatsuo also. 

As for Magnus, he would probably would probably tell Alec to stay with Tatsuo in bed, and that he would be back shortly.

And so Alec got back into bed, looking over at Tatsuo. He reached over and brushed the side of his cheek. 

He closed his eyes, thinking of his beloved and his wondrous gold cat eyes.

Hopefully Magnus would return soon…

…………………….

_Meanwhile, in an undisclosed place_

Magnus had stepped out of the portal.

“It certainly took you long enough tonight. You were here earlier last night,” a seductive female voice said.

Magnus blinked, his gold cat eyes still unfocused and dilated. But they oriented onto her. His mouth widened in a huge smile

“_Milady_,” he purred. “I’m always happy to see you, darling.”

In front of him, Lillith smiled. “That’s what I like to hear. Come to me, my love,” she said, smiling seductively, as she held out her arms to him.

Magnus strode over to her, somewhat woodenly, with a frozen smile on his face, his eyes never leaving her face. And he leaned in, kissing her deeply. She returned the kiss, as their arms wrapped around one another. Lillith sighed with satisfaction.

On his back, the demonic rune appeared. It came to life, glowing an angry red. It seemed to spread throughout his entire frame, and soon his eyes were no longer gold, but glowing red as well.

Unbeknownst to Magnus, small areas around the demonic rune were also glowing, and appearing to erupt from his skin. But Magnus didn’t appear to feel them, or flinch as this was occurring. 

On his right hand, the Alliance rune flickered as if attempting to come to life, but then it stopped abruptly.

Magnus’s hands went to cup Lilith’s face, as he moved in closer, deepening their kiss, his fiery red eyes afire.

Lillith exhaled slightly, sending more of her dark essence within him, pressing her body to his.

Somewhere else, where darkness was never-ending, and red flames leapt wildly around him, someone viewed the two through the projection he had created with his mind. He could see whatever he wanted throughout Edom, and even in other worlds, if he had ever possessed them before.

He was glad to see Lillith was upholding her part of the bargain. Magnus’s transformation would be slow but fruitful once he got him where he needed to be…it would happen so _subtly_, Magnus was not going to know what hit him. 

And as for Lillith, let her think she was going to get what she wanted – to be Queen of Edom next to Magnus. Once he had full control of Magnus, she was as good as gone.

But she didn’t know that right now --and she didn’t need to know that. 

He really felt bad for Magnus; he really did. It’s too bad that the Castle accepted him as King. Otherwise he really liked the boy, a lot. In another situation, they might have been close – and been great allies. It was unfortunate how they had ended up. 

Ah well, there was no room for empathy or mercies in this game. Whoever ended up with Control of Edom was the winner. 

And he didn’t intend to lose.

He glanced against at the two in the projection, both now heavily making out with one another without abandon. A huge smile spread across his face.

_Things were all going to plan._

_……………….._

"Magnus, Magnus, wake up. Say something!!"

Bleary-eyed, Magnus blinked twice. Slowly, the looming face of a very concerned looking Alec appeared in front of him.

"Alexander?" he said uncertainly. Why did Alec look so worried?

Slowly he sat up, and looked around. Why was he lying on the floor in the foyer area of the castle?

"Magnus, where did you go? " Alec said slowly. "You know, I woke up in the middle of the night, and I realized you weren't by my side. I thought you would come back. But now the sun’s about to come up, and I decided to come downstairs. And I find you here on the floor, unconscious.

Magnus rubbed his eyes. “I…actually don’t remember getting out of bed, Alexander,” he murmured. “But I guess, I must have…” And for the past couple of days also, he added silently.

Alec’s face was suddenly close to his face, peering downward. “And is this a – bruise? You seem to be bruising easily, Magnus,” he said, taking a finger and brushing the mark that was at the base of his neck, right by the collar of his pajama top. “ How did you get this? It looks new.” 

There was no edge to his voice, only concern.

A jolt of desire burned through Magnus’s system as the pads of Alec’s fingers made contact with that bruise. He felt his eyes click, his glamour dropping. 

Suddenly, he wanted Alec – _badly._

Magnus’s hand shot up to grab Alec’s arm by the wrist. Alec abruptly turned to face him, a look of surprise on his face.

“Magnus?” Alec stated questioningly, sounding hesitant.

Something clicked in Magnus’s head. It made him feel slightly dazed. But it also made him feel _really_ good…

“_Well_,” Magnus heard himself saying, his tone dulcet and sweet like honey, “I’m not sure where _that _particular bruise came from, but I’m sure we can put a few more on me, couldn’t we?”

He felt laughter bubble up in his throat as he saw Alec’s eyes widen. Then Alec’s glamour dropped, and they were both staring at one around, their gold cat eyes dilated.

“Come here,” Magnus said firmly, as his arms shot up to grab Alec’s face with both hands to bring it close to him, crushing their lips together. Alec stumbled, as his arms grabbed at Magnus to steady himself. Magnus, noticing that Alec’s lips were already parted when they kissed, took the opportunity to slide his tongue into his mouth, looping his arms around him. Alec moaned, returning the kiss.

Their tongues slid against one another, the intensity growing with every minute. Magnus’s brain was no longer working. 

_He wanted more…_

The desire was blazing in his blood and in his veins. He could feel it, like some insatiable urge that was asking to be fulfilled.

He flicked his wrist, and Alec’s pajama top disappeared. He felt Alec flinch at the sudden occurrence. He held Alec’s arms with both hands firmly, as he pressed his mouth closer to his, his tongue demanding more intensity and closeness with Alec.

…

Meanwhile, Alec was internally fighting to keep his brain alert, even as he was getting dizzier and dizzier with Magnus’s demanding kisses.

_What brought this on?_ he thought faintly, as his mouth and body continued to respond to Magnus’s advances. 

Not that he minded it, and of course he was completely enamored and always turned on by his fiancé. But they were both in the foyer, where Tatsuo could just come down and see them in a compromising situation. 

Not to mention that Magnus had magicked his shirt away, without asking, while keeping his own shirt on – and Alec did find this hot, but Magnus normally would say something before doing that –

And now they had both somehow ended up on the stone floor of the foyer, Magnus on top of Alec, perfectly slotted in between his legs, and pressing Alec insistently into the stone. Magnus’s lips had wandered onto the hollow of Alec’s throat, and was now sucking – a bit harder than he expected, while his hands had slid down the sides of his torso, grabbing him a bit more roughly than what Alec was accustomed to, from Magnus.

He didn’t mind it…but this was a bit uncharacteristic of Magnus, especially since he hadn’t mentioned that they were going to play rough right now. He normally would…

Was it worth mentioning? he wondered faintly. Part of him was ready to just throw out all rationale and logical thought, as the sensations overwhelmed him. There was something to be said for spontaneity. He was probably just being silly…

And Magnus’s mouth on his neck did feel amazing right now – he had sucked so hard on that one spot, that Alec knew there would be a mark there. And already his mouth had moved down, his tongue tracing along with skin, with nips, and light drag of teeth along sensitive skin, which sent electric tingles to his nerve endings. 

Before long, those teeth had found the edge of his nipple, and the slow drag of teeth and tongue teasing the nub made Alec cry out softly with arousal, his fingers threading and winding in Magnus’s thick hair to bring his head and mouth closer to his body. 

Then Magnus just outrighted closed his mouth around his nipple, and sucked – hard – making Alec’s back arch, with a filthy moan escaping his lips. The sensations, coming in waves, were starting to make him feel lightheaded. It barely registered when Magnus finally removed his mouth from his nipple, only to repeat his action on the other side.

Suddenly he felt Magnus’s hand slowly slide into the front of his pajama pants, inching downward, feeling around. His hand lightly brushed his erect cock, and Alec inhaled sharply.

Alec then flinched – _hard _– and his breath caught, as one of Magnus’s hands was now at the base of his cock, groping his balls. Alec inhaled sharply, his arms grasping Magnus’s tightly around his back, pressing their bodies even more closely together…

Then his fingers came across some raised edges around the center of Magnus’s back. Were those there before? Alec wondered, feeling confused. He attempted to feel around a bit more.

They felt hard, and slightly sharp, although blunted toward the ends. There wasn’t that many, but they were there…

Okay, now this concerned Alec slightly. Alec knew these were scales – he’d seen Magnus with them, especially when they had been inadvertently hit by the Castle’s magic. 

But he thought Magnus had gotten those under control since then. 

In fact, he didn’t recall him having those a few days ago, when they had taken that bath together…

Although, it did seem like ever since Magnus arrived in Edom, he had been subject to unexpected things happening as a result of his heritage of being a descendant of a Fallen Angel…

Magnus had never gone into this in full detail about what he could expect to happen to him as a result of accepting the title of King, and from staying down in Edom long term. But it was known that after staying in the Realm for a certain period of time, demon characteristics could manifest – which normally wouldn’t occur, if one stayed topside –

And – _OOF!_

Magnus had gone from groping his balls, to stroking the length of his cock, his thumb having just dug into his slit. And the stroking was getting more and more aggressive. Alec’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and the arousal was threatening to derail his thoughts. 

Faintly he felt Magnus’s hand start to trail down the underside of his cock, massaging his perianal area. Alec inhaled sharply – he already knew he would be too gone if Magnus started focusing on _that._

_He knew himself too well…_

Right now, though, he was too concerned about the scales on Magnus’s back. This couldn’t wait. 

He took a deep breath. He needed to talk to Magnus about it --

Regrettably, Alec started to pull away abruptly, sighing heavily.

Magnus’s eyes were still unfocused, chest heaving, as he was still caught up in the passion of it all. 

“’xander?” he murmured, his arms tightening around Alec as Alec tried to pull away. “Why did you stop?”

Alec looked at him. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “And we can totally get back to it. But I needed to mention something. I noticed something on your back. Were you aware of them?”

Magnus looked at him, still a bit dazed, but starting to come back to reality. He had a look of confusion on his face. 

He let go of Alec, and sat back up.

“No, I wasn’t aware,” he said. “What did you notice?”

“There’s a bunch of hard, raised areas around the center of your back,” Alec said. “Does it hurt at all?

Magnus shook his head. “No, nothing hurts,” he replied. “Although, my back is itchy from time to time. That’s pretty much it…”

“Do you mind if I take a look?” Alec asked.

Magnus shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “Although I’d really prefer to get back to what we were doing. Things were going so well…”

“Yea,” Alec admitted, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “They certainly were. But this is more important right now.”

Magnus didn’t argue as Alec helped him to take off his pajama top. 

“Turn around,” Alec said gently. Magnus did as he was told. 

Sure enough, there seemed to be about a dozen small red scales clustered on the center of Magnus’s back.

Alec just stared at them for a moment. Then he reached out with a finger, and cautiously brushed the pads of his fingers against one of them. Magnus suddenly flinched.

“What was that?” Magnus asked, sounding surprised.

“Did it hurt?” Alec asked.

Magnus shook his head. “No,” he said slowly. “It just felt…odd. It also didn’t feel like you were touching my skin, exactly –”

“They’re scales, Magnus,” Alec said. “Did you know you had some on your back?”

“I do?” Magnus asked, sounding surprised.

Magnus was quiet for a moment; he seemed contemplative. Then he sighed.

“I guess the effects of staying down here are starting to manifest, especially for someone with my heritage. It was inevitable. I guess I was hoping it would take longer of a time before it started to show…” he said slowly.

Magnus looked away for a second, a strange expression on his face.

“Magnus?” Alec asked hesitantly.

Magnus turned back and looked at Alec. “Are they horrible looking to you?” he said hesitantly. Alec noticed that his eyes were downcast. 

Alec shook his head quickly.

“No, no, they aren’t horrible looking at all,” he said reassuringly. “It doesn’t bother me in the least. I love you. You are beautiful no matter what. Those are just superficial, on your skin. They are part of you.” 

Magnus nodded slowly. 

And to prove that Alec had no issues with them whatsoever, he placed his hand along the affected area, running his fingers over each one. He noticed Magnus shivering with each and every touch. Then he leaned in and kissed the uneven surface. “See?” Alec said. “No problem at all.” 

Magnus’s glamour dropped just then, his gold cat eyes blazing .They were glistening as they looked at Alec. 

Magnus sighed again.

“I am so lucky to have you, Alexander,” he said softly. His gold cat eyes had a soft look to them as they gazed at him.

“Not as lucky as I am to have you,” Alec said truthfully, putting his whole heart into his words. He felt his own glamour drop as his eyes blazed fiercely, looking into Magnus’s eyes. 

They reached for each other’s hands, lacing their fingers together, feeling the vibration of the Alliance Rune and the rings joining them together. 

And then they embraced. 

Alec closed his eyes dreamily, his head on Magnus’s shoulder. Magnus did the same, but his eyes were open. He was anxious. 

Contrary to what he had just told Alec, certain things were not inevitable. Things didn’t _just _happen…

And actually, it was not supposed to be this easy for him to manifest. Even when he was in Edom at the age of 9, he had not manifested _at all_, despite living here for awhile.

One didn’t just manifest like this. 

Unless darkness was somehow upsetting the balance of his soul. 

But usually that only occurred if individuals were voluntarily allowing it to happen.

And yes, with his lineage, the manifestation would actually occur quite quickly, as Edom always sought to claim what belonged to her. Just like how the inevitably of him becoming King was pretty much decided for him.

Funny, he didn’t feel he was indulging any dark tendencies. As far as he knew, he hadn’t acted in ways that would make his morality questionable.

So he actually wasn’t sure why he was manifesting now. 

Well, whatever it was, he had to find out what was causing it – along with a way to stop it. If the manifestation were to continue, at a certain point, the darkness would just completely take over and consume him. 

He remembered how it had been, when he was younger and didn’t know any better – allowing Asmodeus to teach him how to wield his power, in various battles and confrontations over those years – he was doing it voluntarily, yet he still had control over his actions.

And yet, he hadn’t manifested then. 

He couldn’t imagine having that darkness fall over him, and _not _having control of his mind or actions. The very thought caused him to shiver inwardly.

“Magnus, you okay?” Alec had lifted his head from Magnus’s shoulder and was studying his face with a concerned expression on his face. 

Magnus forced a smile onto his face. “Just got preoccupied a bit,” he said, attempting to keep his voice sounding light. “Why don’t we go back upstairs? I’m sure I will feel much better back up in the room. Tatsuo, he’s sleeping decently tonight?” 

It was so interesting, yet nice, how quickly he had fallen into the role of big brother. He always had him in the back of his mind. It had only been a few weeks since he had come across Tatsuo, but he couldn’t imagine being without him now.

Alec smiled.

“Yes, he is. Actually, I didn’t want him to wake up while I came down here to look for you, so I waved a small sleeping spell over him – you know, the one infused with lavender that you taught me –a natural herb that aids with sleep,” Alec said, recalling what Magnus had taught him.

Magnus smiled at the mention of the lavender. “You remembered that,” he said warmly.

“Well, the warlock who taught me that is quite inspiring,” Alec quipped.

Magnus laughed. _Oh, Alec_, he thought affectionately. 

“C’mon, let’s go upstairs,” he said, putting an arm around Alec. 

Then he hesitated for a second.

“Actually do you mind conjuring up a portal? From how things have been going, I think I should conserve my magic,” he said. “Until we can figure out what’s actually going on.”

Alec nodded. 

“You must have read my mind, I was about to volunteer,” he said. Alec flicked his wrist, and soon a vortex appeared, the portal shimmering and glowing in front of them. 

Magnus took Alec’s hand in his. His mind was still troubled. But he felt much better, especially with Alec next to him like this. Maybe he would think on it some more after they got some more sleep. 

They both stepped in, with the portal closing right after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11 to come


	11. Even The Invincible Ones May Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer as usual, checks in with Lillith, the two unwitting allies needing to work together for a common goal. But their plan is working...
> 
> Magnus spirals further, affecting Alec in bad ways. They both realize this -- and ultimately decide they need to get to the bottom of this -- but meanwhile unaware that there are unknown forces at play...
> 
> Desperate for answers, Magnus's thoughts are heard by the the Castle. And a suggestion is made -- which ultimately leads toward a chain reaction of events...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters really OOC, warnings of unpleasant visions and nightmares, and things happening beyond everyone's control/mind control. Super-heavy angst here, and a cliffhanger (sorry!)
> 
> **Not sure if anyone reads this one anymore. Anyway still updating though. Hoping all is well and please be safe

_Lillith’s Castle, about two weeks later_

Lucifer stood in the corner, coolly surveying an obviously annoyed Lillith. Ever since he had shown up unannounced in her bedroom, she had been huffing as she walked past him, going about her daily things.

He raked his eyebrow. “Why the attitude, my dear?” he said, in such a tone, indicating he knew exactly why she was riled up. Before Lillith could respond, he added glibly, “I was only coming here to commend you on how well you are doing. I can now feel Magnus’s darkness start to take over…”

Lillith stopped what she was doing. She looked at him, still slightly suspicious. “Oh, is it?” she asked delicately.

“Mmm-hmm,” he said, with approval clear in his voice.

Lillith let out a big exhale of relief. “It’s about time something started to happen,” she complained, wrinkling her nose. “Do you know how long we have been at this already? How many times I’ve had to summon him to me –”

“It will all be worth it. After all, isn’t that what you wanted? To be his Queen? To be _THE QUEEN_ of Edom?” Lucifer asked. 

He smirked, knowing he was basically dangling the proverbial carrot in front of her face.

She scrunched up her face in disgust. 

“_I know, I know_,” she groused. She then sighed. “It will all be worth it, once this is done.” She glanced askance at Lucifer. “Even if after all of this, I end up having to _suffer_ technically ruling with you, since _you_ will have control over him…”

“Yea, well,” Lucifer huffed, “I guess I would need to suffer that inconsequential detail as well. Trust me honey, this is no picnic for me, either. But at least we will both have what we desire the most.” They both glared at one another. It was clear there was no love lost between the two.

They continued staring at one another, as if in a staring contest – and no one was relenting.

Then Lillith sighed again. “Right,” she said, conceding the moment. “Then we can really start planning for what this is really all about – to take over the Earth. Between the both of us, we are going to be unstoppable, especially with Magnus’s magic turned completely dark -- and having you in control of all of it, including him…

A broad smile spread across Lucifer’s face as his eyes blazed evilly. 

“Now, _that _will certainly be something to experience,” he mused. “We are banking on the fact that Magnus will be disturbed by what’s happening, and want to seek someone out for answers. Being that he currently has no recollection of what we put him through, since his memory is being wiped upon his return to his Castle, we are assuming that will be_ me_. HIs Castle will even advise him on this, because I was invited back in, when he invited you in that time, and I was with you. So once he initiates that idea, the final part of the process will begin – where he will inadvertently cede control of his mind, to me, even as that rune connecting him to that Nephilim, completely flames out.”

“Then,” Lucifer declared.. “That’s when we can start to celebrate, my dear.”

Lillith and Lucifer were still looking at one another, but the staring had now turned into a shared smile of triumph.

_It was only a matter of time…_

_……………_

_Meanwhile, at Magnus’s castle…_

“Magnus,” Alec moaned, entwining his fingers through Magnus’s thick hair, as he felt his fiancé bite down into the tender part of his shoulder in the midst of nipping and marking him all over.

Magnus had awakened early this morning, having left a note saying he had taken Tatsuo downstairs to train with targets using his bow and arrow, along with magic simulations that Magnus had set up.

Alec had thought it would take much longer for Magnus to do all of that. Yet he was back upstairs no more than 15 minutes after he had woken up, looking at Alec like he wanted to devour him.

“There’s my Shadowhunter,” Magnus had growled suddenly. His eyes seemed to light afire – as opposed to his regular gold cat eyes, and all the blood had headed to Alec’s groin. And made his glamour drop.

After that, he didn't remember much of what happened. 

But soon, they were both horizontal in the tall grasses in the sanctuary, Magnus having_ pulled _all his clothing off piece by piece --as opposed to using magic. 

Actually, _Magnus had practically torn off his clothes, shortly after pouncing on him with kisses and bites all over his face and skin. _

There had been something extremely _primal and passionate about that --_

And now he was completely nude, along with Magnus, and Magnus was about to taste him down there…

He had lost all senses by the time Magnus had deep throated him countless amounts of times. Wow, Magnus was insatiable today…

Alec peered down the length of his body as Magnus finished deep throating him with a soft ‘pop. Then he was kissing all over his inner thighs, making his breath hitch. He was then faintly aware that Magnus was between his legs, kissing lower and lower – and then he was darting his tongue in and out of his hole. Alec’s body nearly levitated with each thrust, more precome shooting out from the tip. 

From time to time, Magnus would lift his mouth off, to bite lightly into his inner thigh…but even those had been gotten slightly rougher at the moment. This last one really made him yelp – he knew it would leave a mark, as Magnus had sunk his teeth in, and dragged as he bit down. Then his tongue was fucking his hole again, and Alec’s whole body flinch, rendering Alec unable to think. 

He was feeling floaty again. Then he felt Magnus push in one finger, and he yelped. He hadn’t been ready. But he did notice that, at least, Magnus had taken care to lube up his finger.

He huffed. “I wasn’t prepared for that, sneaky,” he gasped in-between thrusts. “But it feels really good….”

“Hmm,” Magnus hummed, as he came up to claim Alec’s mouth in a bruising kiss. 

Then Alec suddenly felt more pressure accompanying the next few thrusts – and Alec realized Magnus was now using three fingers to thrust into his hole.

And oh, Magnus was hitting and brushing against his prostrate every other thrust, reducing Alec to being only faintly conscious, and a body that was lurching here and there, only being supported by whatever Magnus was doing….

Alec lost all sense of time…

Suddenly he felt himself being flipped over, on his stomach, jostling him back to his senses. 

“Hey!” he half-protested, then he felt Magnus’s cock against his hole – for one second – before he slammed it in. Alec jerked once, twice, three times, his eyes rolling back, faintly aware that Magnus’s fingers were digging into the tender flesh of his hips as he took him from behind. 

The chorus of wind and sounds, some definitely Edomic in nature, swirled past Alec’s ears – rising in crescendo…and he also could have sworn he heard howling of some kind...that strangely sounded all too familiar…

The hairs on the back of his neck rose, as he _shivered _– not the good type of shiver. Almost like _dread…_

_But it was probably all only in his own head..._

He soon forgot these thoughts, as Magnus’s ministrations and movements around sent him into pleasure, making him black out…

_…_

_“Nnnth! Nnnth!”_ Alec moaned, as he was continually shoved and jostled by Magnus’s movements as he pounded into him. He and Magnus were still at it, since the morning -- _how long had it been? Not that it hadn’t been enjoyable,_ he had come quite a few times – feeling his eyes glow intensely every time he did. 

But right now, after the – _fourth? fifth?_ – time, he was_ spent._ _Beyond exhausted._

Magnus, however – he was the one supporting and holding them up. And he kept on wanting to go, again. Almost immediately.

Magnus showed no signs of stopping. 

His grip had gotten much tighter, with his nails digging into his skin, bordering on painful. Perhaps Magnus wasn’t even aware, as he just continued to pound into him, spreading his legs wider so he could go in deeper. Actually, the position made Alec feel quite uncomfortable, like he was totally on display. Well actually it shouldn’t be of concern to him at the moment, being that they were making love right now, but still…it was getting rough again. 

Alec groaned and huffed, being jostled back and forth, hearing the sound of skin slapping onto skin, as Magnus continued to fuck him into the ground. Alec blew away the beads of sweat which had traveled from his scalp, down his face, and were now dripping off his lips.

And Alec had noticed, that for the past week, Magnus had gotten much rougher, and would not stop to ask him if he wanted to do certain things during the act itself – he would just go ahead and do it. 

Alec, of course, had just let it go, since passion did have a way of taking over at times…

But he was starting to feel like Magnus was being less considerate of him…

Not to mention that Magnus had been using more dirty talk while having sex. 

Alec didn’t mind dirty talk, actually – when he was in the mood for it, it was amazing and arousing. In fact, when Magnus had started on that a few days ago, it had excited him so much, he had literally come untouched.

But that was before Magnus had started using more vernacular, in a more degrading way – that was not like him….

Alec could recall days ago, when Magnus had leaned in close to him, as he was taking him from behind, whispering into his ear, “You take me so well, you take it just like a slut, all stretched out by me, just waiting for me to ram it into you -- ”

Alec had moaned, “Oh yea, I’m your slut,” thinking that it was a one-time thing. _In fact, he found it hot. That one time…_

But Magnus had continued to call him ‘slut’ continually for the next few days whenever they were fucking, saying things like “Oh yea, take my demon cock, you Nephilim whore. Oh you like that, having my demon cock defile your precious Nephilim hole, you take that, you dirty slut. You know you like it …”, with his hot breath against his ear as he slammed into him – and had he imagined it, or did Magnus’s voice get darker as he became more aroused, sounding more demonic too? 

This morning was no different – in fact, as the sex became rougher, so had his words. Cutting, degrading – _all of it._

_Alec had told himself it didn’t matter…_

But today, it really did bother him, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. It was really making him feel something…_awful, actually, _and really anxious in the pit of his stomach…

_What was causing all of this? _

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Alec! Brother!” Tatsuo called.

Magnus huffed.

“What? He’s done already? Well, _we_ aren’t done…” 

Personally, Alec was relieved that Tatsuo had knocked. He was ready for a break…

Grousing slightly, Magnus groaned as he pulled out of Alec. With a flick of his wrist, both he and Alec were now clean, free of sweat, and wearing silk tunics. 

“I guess we’ll finish later,” Magnus muttered, as he started to get up from the bed.

However, now Alec noticed something odd. There was something glowing through the silk tunic on Magnus’s back. It almost looked like some sort of rune…but then in the next second ,it was gone. 

And in the split second that Magnus had used his magic to cloth them, he had not missed the scales on the sides of Magnus’s face -- it was now all over his arms and there were spot areas on his chest as well.

Alec quickly turned away when he realized he had been looking a bit too long. 

When he turned back to look at Magnus again, there were no scales, and Magnus was smiling at him like his usual self, as if there had not been anything different.

However, Alec’s mind was now racing. He had no idea that the scales had progressed that much in just a week…weren’t they just on his back the last time he had noticed them? And that glowing thing that shone through the tunic for that second – was that connected to the formation of the scales? That’s where the scales had seemed to originate from…

Magnus flicked his wrist. 

“Enter,” he said, his voice indicating that he was still slightly annoyed at the interruption. Alec looked at him. He had never sounded impatient toward his brother before. 

What was wrong with him? Alec thought, confused.

The door opened, and Tatsuo stood in the doorway. 

“Sorry to bother you two,” he said apologetically. “But I was practicing for hours, practically half the day already. I had no idea you two decided to sleep in…”

What? Alec’s brain thought. Half the day had passed already? They were at it for that long? HIs brain could not reconcile that. 

Meanwhile Magnus had an aloof look on his face, as he walked over to his brother.

He put a hand on Tatsuo’s shoulder. And then he smiled.

“Great job, brother, on keeping up your endurance that long,” he said. “I knew you could build that up. That’s why I gave you that much. How are you feeling about everything?”

Tatsuo blinked, as he looked at Magnus with a questioning look on his face. “Are you okay, brother?” he asked. “Your voice sounds a bit off, a bit deeper. And your eyes…” He peered at them, leaning in. Magnus leaned back reflexively. “Your eyes are a bit more orange than yellow today. But I guess that happens from time to time right?”

Magnus hummed what sounded like assent. “Yea, nothing to worry about,” he said blithely.

“So how did your practice go?” Alec asked.

“Of course his practice went well. Just look at him, “ Magnus interjected. “He is def leaner, and he’s moving much more gracefully than in days past. That was part of what the simulation helped to cultivate within him.” He smiled brightly at Tatsuo. 

“Yea, it went great. I learned some more neutralizing spells today, along with some powering up ones,” Tatsuo said, answering Alec’s question. “And practicing reaction time too--”

“Like this?” Magnus quipped, suddenly forming a red fireball in his hand and throwing it at Tatsuo’s face. 

Alec’s eyes widened. _That was too close range --!!!_

However, Tatsuo had anticipated it. Instinctively, his hand had shot up immediately, flicking a defense, an d neutralizing the fireball with a blast of blue. Tatsuo hadn’t even batted an eyelash.

He completely extinguished it. Both Magnus and Alec had flinched with surprise. 

The two brothers started at each other, gold blazing cat eyes meeting orangey fiery ones. There was an odd silence. 

Then Magnus cleared his throat.

“Wow,” Magnus said slowly. “You’ve gotten better than I thought.” He huffed a laugh, as he took a few steps away. “Need I be worried?”

His tone was light, but with some edge to his voice that Alec couldn’t fathom. In fact…did Magnus sound…the tiniest bit _threatened_?

But Alec said nothing, not wanting to add more fuel to the fire. The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife at the moment. This was odd, that he couldn’t even predict what either one was going to say…

Tatsuo only blinked, pure surprise on his face, as confusion colored his face at his brother’s reaction. 

“Of course not, brother,” he said slowly, definitely choosing his words carefully. Alec hated that Tatsuo was apparently retreating back into that defensive behavior. “I’m learning. And I have you and Alec to thank for it. But mostly you. “

He smiled then, a grateful smile. 

“I would only use it to defend the three of us – well not that I’m so powerful that I can do that, far from it, actually,” he continued. “In fact, _now_ I feel like I can finally start pulling my weight. After all, you and Alexander are both beyond amazing, with your powers – and here I am, hating how weak and defensive I feel in comparison to the both of you.”

Magnus’s demeanor appeared to soften as he addressed his brother. 

“That is so considerate of you,” he said gallantly. “You’re such a good brother, wanting to protect me and Alexander. I’m so happy that you are so appreciative of our efforts to help you. Aren’t we, Alexander?”

That was the first time Magnus had included Alec in the conversation. Alec blinked. 

“Yea, we definitely are. You’re part of the family, after all,” he said softly.

Tatsuo smiled warmly, his gold cat eyes gleaming.

“Okay, I guess I am a bit winded. I am going to go take a quick nap before dinner. It is almost that time now, isn’t it.” 

Magnus nodded. “Yes. Come to finish of it, I am a bit hungry. After all we haven’t eaten all day, we were busy doing other things…” The words rolled off his tongue, and Tatsuo suddenly flushed at the implication.

Alec could only look at Magnus, his cheeks burning. “Magnus!” he protested.

“What?” Magnus asked, shrugging. “We’re engaged, and you share in my magic. It’s expected that we do – things. It’s not a big deal…” He winked at him lasciviously 

“Yea, I know. But…” Alec faltered. 

_He knew it wasn’t a big deal._ But Magnus would normally take his feelings under consideration, even the tiniest things. 

What was happening? The scales, the personality changes, the casual brush-offs…and the strange way that he reacted to his brother getting better with magic…

A small knot of anxiety started growing in the pit of his stomach. He hoped it was nothing. 

But even as he thought that to himself, he found himself already realizing that it was_ already something – something to be concerned about._

His Shadowhunter instincts took over . He needed to get to the bottom of this.

Just then, there was a prickly sensation on his hand. He looked down.

The Alliance Rune was flickering.

_WAIT – FLICKERING? _The rune wasn’t supposed to flicker.

So what did that mean? It was either supposed to be dormant, or glow when it was used, or when it was protecting him, or used in conjunction with Magnus’s power.

The rune was how Alec was able to come to Edom to be with Magnus, and to survive within the Edom atmosphere. Without this, he couldn’t breathe, as there was no oxygen here…even as a Nephilim, he couldn’t survive here…

Ugh, he thought. There was no Clary here to ask about the Alliance Rune. He was all alone. They just all assumed nothing adverse would happen.

…But what if it did? But Magnus hadn’t mentioned anything about the Rune, if he was experiencing weird things with it. Surely he would have mentioned it, since they were sharing everything via the Rune –

_…wouldn’t he?_

…….

Magnus excused himself to portal downstairs, to check on some King business, leaving Alec and Tatsuo upstairs in the Sanctuary, resting. When he stepped out of the portal, he exhaled deeply.   
And frowned.

The events from the morning finally caught up to him, in his head --

Hmm, he could admit that he had gotten slightly carried away today, when he had been with Alec earlier – in fact he had no idea they had been at it for that long, that half the day would be gone. 

And the way he had talked – and reacted – to his brother --

Not to mention the itching on his back, and body –

That infernal itching on his back had started awhile back, when Alec had first called attention to it. Then it had increased, time and time again, and especially during time when they were in bed together. Talk about an inconvenient time for that to be happening. And now it wasn’t even just itching, but slight soft popping all over his body. The scales…

No, he had not missed that. 

In fact, he was concerned about them. Ever since that first time, when Alec said he had noticed them growing on his back – soon he had started actually feeling them emerge onto his skin. First it was his back, and then on the back of his thighs…and then his arms this week. And how quickly they had grown. 

Luckily he was mostly able to glamour them, so that no one could see or feel them – Alec said that he didn’t’ mind them, since they were part of him.

But no, he was not comfortable with that. He needed to find out the source of these. But who could he really ask?? As King, everyone looked to him for all the answers. But if the King was experiencing issues….

He’d also noticed his temper flaring a lot quicker than usual too. Like he was prone to outbursts more often. And it was harder and harder to calm down. 

His father was gone…and who else was around? Azazael was long gone -- well, not that he would ever correspond with him, given the body swap between him and Valentine... . 

_And to think of even asking Lillith for help…was laughable._ Seriously. She nearly (and would have) killed Alec and his friends when she tried to resurrect Jonathan, and then tricked him in helping her with gaining possession of Jace. 

He would never forgive her for that…In fact, he _hated_ her. 

_Hated her with such a passion._

The pressure behind his eyes started growing more and more steadily, and he felt his eyes glowing as thoughts of her filled his head. His hatred of her was so strong, now it seemed to take over his brain, and he could barely think coherently…

_Visions of him yelling at her, using his red magic to hold her down, his hatred of her flowing through his veins, as he imagined holding her down physically with his arms, then his hands going to her throat and starting to choke her, choking her steadily. _

_And all she could do was to smile, her eyes bright and dilated, her expression evil, with eyes rolling back as he laughed wildly, slapping her back and forth, frantically ripping her clothes off, and suddenly his red scaly self-manifested, his tail whipping out as his clothing ripped to shreds, falling away…. _

_Then as the scaly beast with the yellow eyes, he positioned himself before her as he ---_

_WAIT, WHAT? NO! WHAT WAS THIS? _

Magnus blinked, coming back to his senses. He was covered in a cold sweat, his chest heaving --

_No, he had not envisioned that. Had he??!_

_But…he had._

He looked around, dazed, not sure where he was. He was – _still_ in the throne room. 

But…wasn’t he standing before? But no, he was now lying down, on the stone floor in the throne room, with files and papers all around him. 

He must have suffered some sort of fainting spell. Again? He blinked. 

What was wrong with him?

Magnus decided right then and there, he had to get to the bottom of this. Having the scales, well that was problematic, and he needed answers.

But him having these visions…._of Lillith?!_ _NO FUCKING WAY._

Suddenly, a vision of Lucifer entered his mind.

But... wait. Lucifer was heard to be extremely reclusive... Was he even real? He'd only heard stories about him. Even his father had been evasive about him, growing up.

But, for some reason, the thought wouldn't go away.

Lucifer was the one who had all the answers -- who could help him...

He _had_ to see Lucifer. 

But...how would he even find him?

_Your Imperialness, was that a request? Do you seek Lucifer for something? _The Castle’s booming voice suddenly echoed off the walls, making Magnus jump.

_You scared me, _Magnus stated.

_I heard your request, so I responded. It is my duty to respond to you_, the Castle responded. _I know how to reach Lucifer._

This was news to Magnus.

_Wait, so Lucifer has been around? How do you know how to reach Lucifer? You never mentioned this before,_ he stated.

_Well, whose Castle do you think this was, before Asmodeus took it from him?_ the Castle asked. 

_…WHAT?! Magnus thought, shocked._

Magnus couldn’t believe it.

I thought you would have known that... Since your father is his nephew, after all...

_Wow. Estranged, much? _

Asmodeus had never said anything to him about that!

_So what did that mean, was Lucifer supposed to be in line for King, instead of Asmodeus? Whoever lived in this Castle was King, right?_

_So, it would go without saying, _the Castle replied.

_Well, your father and Lucifer were not exactly on the best of terms_, the Castle stated. _Especially after that._

_You're telling me,_ Magnus interjected wryly. Greater demons often did not get along –their love for power superseded any type of rationale relationship.

Suddenly Magnus had an idea. 

It seemed farfetched, but he was completely out of answers at this point.

_You wouldn’t happen to know what’s happening to me, do you? I’m manifesting characteristics of my demon self…and I need to know why,_ Magnus stated. 

_You know the basic reason,_ the Castle stated. _The balance of darkness vs. your angelic self has been disrupted. There’s something that’s potentiating that._ There’s such a delicate balance where you are concerned, _since you are half Mundane and half Greater Demon._

_I need to know how this happened, this is why I need to speak to Lucifer, _Magnus insisted._ I can’t have this happening. I already feel things changing, in how I’m acting., what I’m thinking, what’s I’m saying. My baser urges take over sometimes. And I know that it’s happening – yet I’m powerless to stop it…_

Magnus took a deep breath._ I’m just afraid that as time goes on, and if I can’t find a way to stop this, that those baser urges will take over more and more, and then I won’t be able to predict my behavior, or be able to keep the impulses under control, _he thought.

You may summon a portal at the crossroads not too far from here, the Castle said. It cannot be done here. Lucifer’s Castle is heavily warded, as he normally does not have reason to expect visitors, regularly. But you are of his kin, and the current King of Edom, so you would be privy to this. 

An image suddenly flashed into Magnus’s head, denoting the coordinates and place.

Magnus nodded, committing it to memory…

_Come to me_, a different voice from further in the recess of his mind suddenly growled deeply. _You need my counsel ---_

Magnus’s eyes suddenly blazed fire, catching him by surprise. This caused him to recoil, stumbling back a few times. Magnus flicked his wrist, regaining his balance, his eyes widening.

_What was that?_ Magnus wondered, in shock. He blinked. And his eyes were normal again, gold, and calm.

"Who was that?" Magnus whispered. He felt the insides of his gut twist uncomfortably. Who are you ---"

“…Magnus?” a hesitant voice called out.

Magnus whirled around, still in a daze after hearing the voice in his head --completely confused.

His gold cat eyes fixated upon Alec. Who had silently come up to him.

Alec had a serious expression on his face, yet hesitant. And he sounded…like he was afraid of approaching him….

_Him?_

Magnus closed his eyes, his posture slumping. 

“Alexander,” he breathed, his voice coming out a bit more shakily than he wanted it to…

But it seemed to alleviate whatever Alec was feeling, as Alec came up behind him, and folded him in his arms, leaning his head on the back of his neck. 

Feeling Alec’s arms around him, Magnus sighed, taking a deep breath, slumping even more in his embrace. He felt Alec start kissing his hair, then the back of his neck oh so tenderly. Which sent shivers down his spine.

“That feels so nice, Alexander,” Magnus said. He sighed heavily again. He didn’t deserve Alec treating him so tenderly, after making him obviously uncomfortable…

“Magnus,” Alec released him, and turned Magnus to face him. He gestured toward the couch with his hand, a question in his eyes. Magnus nodded in kind. They both went to sit together on the couch, facing one another. 

Alec reached out to hold Magnus by the forearms, his thumbs gently making circles on the skin. His hazel eyes were present as he gazed at him. 

“You’ve been manifesting. Far more than what we saw awhile back. Aren’t you.” It was more a statement than a question. Magnus winced.

“You saw that?” he asked in a small voice. _Ugh…he had tried his hardest to hide it from him…_

Alec grimaced.

“By accident, it was in that split second when you dressed us this morning. Why haven’t you told me? “ he asked.

Magnus averted his eyes. “I was trying to figure out how to reverse it,” he said in a small voice. “But nothing was working…”:

“Still, you should have told me, Magnus,” Alec protested. 

“I know,” Magnus sighed. 

“Any other ideas on why this is happening, aside from what you told me before? Or ” Alec asked.

Magnus shook his head. “I really don’t know,” he stated sighing. “I mean, to manifest to _this _extent involves something that upset the balance of dark vs. light within me. And I mean, it really did set off a chain reaction….And for that to happen, had to be of demonic origin.” He shook his head. “I’ve been having…episodes, Alexander…”

Alec winced, and Magnus caught that. 

“Alexander,” he said slowly. “These past few weeks…” He hesitated. “Did I…hurt you at all?”

Alec didn’t answer right away. “…No,” he said finally. “Not really…” He trailed off, letting go of Magnus’s arms and placing his hands in his own lap, clasping them together tightly.

Hmm this wasn’t good, Magnus thought, dismayed. 

“I haven’t been myself,” Magnus confessed. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you whenever I was feeling off…”

“It wasn’t even that crazy,” Alec argued weakly. But his behavior was suggesting otherwise, Magnus realized. He felt sick to his stomach.

Tentatively he moved a bit closer to Alec. Alec didn’t flinch or move away.

“Tell me how you’re feeling,” Magnus said, reaching up to cup Alec’s chin, and turning his face to him so he could look into his eyes. Alec’s glamour dropped, his gold cat eyes showing. And they were glistening. “Tell me what bothered you.”

He felt Alec shudder, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Then he spoke. “Things were just a bit…rougher than usual,” Alec whispered. “I mean, most of it I didn’t mind. It just took me by surprise. And then…” Alec shuddered a bit more just then. 

“And?” Magnus prodded.

“Well,” Alec said, seeming to have a bit difficulty with speaking, “I think the dirty talk got a bit out of hand…“

“Like, how?” Magnus asked curiously. 

Alec fixed a look upon him, as if to say, “Seriously?”.

“I’m serious. I’m not playing dumb,” Magnus pleaded. “_Please. _I don’t’ remember what I said. I recall a few things but I don’t recall anything that I could think of, which would have bothered me or you to any extent…”

Alec’s hard look in his eyes softened just then. 

“Uh, I don’t really want to repeat what was said,” he said. “You just made a lot of references to you being a demon, and me being Nephilim, and a lot of derogatory comments…and you kept calling me a slut, that could just _take_ it.”

Alec shuddered again, as if the weight of those words were too much for him.

Magnus’s eyes widened, and they filled with tears. How could he have hurt Alec like that?

He immediately hugged him, hard. . “I’m sorry, so sorry my love,” he murmured, brokenly. “I don’t know what came over me. I don’t know why this is happening.” 

He felt Alec relax in his arms, and his lips brushing his cheek, then traveling to his lips. Magnus returned the kiss, as soft and as yielding as it was tender and reassuring.

“I didn’t’ mean to make you feel like that,” Magnus said, when they parted, and they were gazing into each other’s eyes. “I’m so so so sorry, Alexander…”

“I know it wasn’t you,” Alec said softly. “But in the moment, I guess it just made me feel really…cheap. I couldn’t help it.” He sighed.

Magnus furrowed his brows. “See, this is why I really need to get to the bottom of this!” he insisted adamantly. “We can’t have this go on any further. I’m going to have a harder time controlling myself…and then what if I do something to you, or even Tatsuo? That can’t be allowed to happen!”

Alec looked at him. Magnus really did seem nervous, and even desperate for answers.

“So what are you going to do?” Alec asked plaintively.

“I think I need to find Lucifer and ask him how to reverse this, or to get rid of it,” Magnus stated.

_“NO_,” Alec said stubbornly. _Magnus couldn’t possibly be thinking of doing this! Wasn’t he aware that there were obviously certain things beyond his control?_

“Wait, what?” Magnus said, dumbfounded.

“That’s a Greater Demon, as you know,” Alec argued.

Magnus resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“And he’s related to me. Part of the same bloodline to an extent,” Magnus stated. “He of all beings would know how to reverse this.”

“I don’t know,” Alec stated, doubtfully. “You know Greater Demons can be trusted…” 

Magnus sighed. “I’m not sure we have a choice, Alexander,” he said. “The way this is going, it is already beyond my control…” 

Alec was silent. Magnus could see the wheels in his mind turning. 

“Do you know how to find him?” Alec finally asked.

“The Castle told me there is a way,” Magnus said.

Alec was silent, pondering the situation.

“Well,” Alec said finally, “If you must go find Lucifer, then we are coming with you, me and Tatsuo…”

“What?” Magnus exclaimed. “There’s _no_ way I’m subjecting the both of you to this. I need to go, on my own.”

“But you’re compromised…” Alec stated, before realization washed over him. Right, Magnus was compromised -- but only with his demon characteristics coming out. That didn’t necessarily weaken him. He would probably be fine going on his own. 

But still…whatever was allowing this to happen _– that’s what Alec was apprehensive about…_

“I still don’t like the idea of you seeking Lucifer -- alone,” Alec said, taking Magnus’s hands in his.

“I know,” Magnus said, squeezing his hands lightly.

_They both knew that this was the only way. _

“Okay, that settles it,” Alec said. “We are coming.” 

He gave Magnus a firm look. He interpreted Magnus’s silence, and the grateful look in his eyes, as silent concession.

“So, where are we going?” Alec asked.

“The Castle said there is an area where the paths converge, at a crossroads of sorts, between realms. That’s where we can portal over to him,” Magnus stated. 

He frowned.

“I’m not even sure whether you or Tatsuo can even come with me, beyond that,” Magnus stated slowly. “Or what will happen if we try that..”

“Well, you are not going there alone, so we will have to take that chance,” Alec insisted again. “I mean, we share your magic –”

And with that, there was a stronger sensation on his hand, causing him to glance over. Now, the Alliance Rune was really flickering. Badly. The ring on his fourth finger was glowing too.

Magnus had also turned, and was now staring at Alec’s hand. 

“Alexander,” he stated slowly, “Your rune is flickering.” He looked at his own, which was dormant. “But mine isn’t.” He sounded puzzled. “But that’s not supposed to happen right?” 

He sounded hesitant. Uncertain. He couldn’t stop looking at it. Knowing that was the only way Alec could survive in Edom.

“You need to stay in the Castle, Alexander,” Magnus stated, suddenly afraid. “I don’t know why your Alliance Rune is so unstable, when nothing is happening to mine…”

“I’ll take my chances,” Alec insisted stubbornly. “Besides, the flickering is only once in awhile, and then it’s okay, again…” Sure enough, it was dormant once more. He fixed his look upon Magnus. “You are NOT going alone.”

It was clear Alec was not going to listen to Magnus, and that he had already made his decision. “Alright,” Magnus stated, folding his arms to his chest. “It doesn’t’ mean I like it.” He sighed heavily.

Alec leaned in, folding Magnus to his chest. Magnus sagged against him, closing his eyes.

“I know, baby,” Alec whispered. “I know.”

**********

_An hour later_

“I don’t know,” Tatsuo said hesitantly, looking from Alec to Magnus. “This sounds like a really bad idea…”

“What’s a bad idea? Us going with Magnus?” Alec asked. “Or the fact he has to go, at all?”

“Both,” Tatsuo responded.

He and Alec shared a look. Alec nodded ruefully. “I completely agree with you,” he said. “But it’s out of Magnus’s hands. He doesn’t know what’s happening –”

“And, won’t I be a liability, if I do go?” Tatsuo argued. “I wouldn’t want to be the one to slow both of you down, or to be the weak one…”

“You certainly were able to hold your own against Magnus, earlier,” Alec stated. “Not that I know about these things, but that tells me that you’ll be okay out there..” He turned to Magnus for confirmation.

Magnus nodded. “As shortsighted as it was for me to throw that fireball at you,. Tatsuo – and keep in mind, I could have really hurt you,” Magnus began, and then winced at the thought of it – “You did hold your own. And I am so glad. And…I am so sorry I did that to you. I don’t know what came over me.” He turned to Alec, who was giving him an empathetic look. 

He smiled gratefully and then turned back to Tatsuo. 

“To be able to neutralize that, it would normally take others a long time to learn, if they were ever able to match my power,” he said. “You are actually much more advanced than you realize.”

Tatsuo looked stunned. “But…I don’t think I can do it at will, though,” he protested. “Doesn’t that put me at a disadvantage?”

Magnus tilted his head and considered it. “True, that it may,” he said. “But then again, whenever I’m caught by surprise, I get thrown off as well. I guess we will both just need to be on our guard at all times once we venture out. And then just hope that between the three of us, we will be okay.”

He put his hand on Tatsuo’s shoulder in a supportive gesture. Tatsuo gave him a grateful glance, his gold eyes glistening.

“So, when do we leave?” he asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” Magnus stated. “Let’s get a good night’s sleep first.”

******************  
  


Morning came, all too soon.

Magnus was already awake, before the other two. Thankfully, there had been no visions or any weird occurrences tonight, and he had actually awakened where he had gone to bed for the night – right next to Alec, with Tatsuo sleeping just a few away from them. 

“You’re awake already?” Sleepily, Alec had spoken, startling Magnus.

“Yea, I am,” Magnus stated. “I just needed to psyche myself for the trip out there today. I can’t help but be anxious. It’s just because it’s so unknown..”

Alec had never heard Magnus quite this unsure before. It wasn’t what he was used to feeling. 

His hand tingled. He knew that the Alliance rune was flickered. Wrinkling his nose, he used his other hand to grab hold of it. 

The flickering/buzzing stopped when he did so. Alec breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry,” he told Magnus, trying to muster up as much confidence as he could. “Things will be fine.” Magnus smiled at him gratefully. Alec returned the smile.

_If only he felt as confident as he sounded…_

Within the next hour or two, Tatsuo was up, and both Alec and Magnus did their best to bolster up his confidence.

Soon they were all dressed, and out the door, Magnus directing them on how to go.

…

From an unknown location, Lucifer smiled slowly, as he idly looked out at the morning sun outside of his window. He could sense three figures getting closer…

_Closer._

“It’s begun,” he whispered. His eyes flashed.

_Come to me, Magnus…_

….

At that moment, Alec looked down at his hand. That rune was flickering again – and his ring was glowing in response to it. Anxiety flashed through his brain, and he gritted his teeth. 

Stop it, he thought, looking at his hand, knowing it was useless to do so. 

_It’s not as if he could will it away…_

The rune stopped flickering.

OH.

Alec didn’t know what to think of that, at the moment.

Just then Tatsuo looked at him. “Are you alright, Alec?” he asked. “You look…disturbed.”

He didn’t’ want to worry Tatsuo, or Magnus . _It was probably just a fluke…._

Alec waved him off dismissively. “I’m fine, just a bit tired,” he stated. _That wasn’t exactly true…_

Still, he said nothing more, as he continued to walk on, with Magnus and Tatsuo at his side.

Unbeknownst to him, Magnus’s eyes had flashed fiery red, then disappeared. 

Magnus didn’t even flinch.

**************

Magnus, Alec, and Tatsuo were getting closer.

They could see the area mentioned by the Castle. The region with the crossroads could be seen in the distance – as there seemed to be an aura of fire around it.

“Wow, now that’s a sight,” Tatsuo stated, a bit apprehensively. “I also feel a strange pull toward it. How about everyone else? It’s not that strong, but I feel it nevertheless.”

Alec stared. He had never been this close to anything generating this much power before. Evil power, that is. Having shared magic with Magnus, now he could feel it throughout every core of his body – as Magnus was most likely feeling. 

But no pull –

“No,” Alec stated. “I…don’t feel anything…” He frowned. 

“How about you, Magnus?” he asked. Magnus was standing next to him, about a foot away. No response. Actually, come to think of it, Magnus had been silent the last few miles or so…

“Magnus?” Alec ventured again, touching his forearm lightly.

Tatsuo’s sharp intake of breath reached Alec’s ears before Alec could see Magnus’s face.

“His eyes,” Tatsuo whispered.

Then Alec saw them. Magnus’s eyes were literally aflame. No sign of his cat eye irises even. And he looked expressionless.

“Magnus?” Alec pleaded. “MAGNUS!” He moved to grab both of Magnus’s arms, to shake him. But Magnus was too quick for him – he suddenly grabbed Alec, and flung him -- _HARD_ \-- back down the plain where they had been walking, in one single bound, with Alec landing on his face, starfished, and groaning.

_Angel, he could feel the rune on his hand flickering even more now…and the roaring of Edomic demons in his ears…_

Faintly Alec heard Tatsuo shriek “_MAGNUS! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT TO ALEXANDER FOR??” HE _–”

_“SILENCE.”_ The booming voice from Magnus was no longer his own. _“THIS IS AS FAR AS YOU GO, YOUNG ONE. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO END UP LIKE HIM, YOU BETTER JUST BE ON YOUR WAY. HE’S LOST TO YOU NOW…”_

Tatsuo didn’t budge, just staring at (_what used to be?_) his brother.

“Magnus…” Tatsuo whispered in horror.

There was a huge surge of heat energy that came forth, that Alec felt upon his skin, and it burned so badly, he screamed. He attempted to lift his head, saw Tatsuo freeze upon impact, then fall…landing on the ground like a limp, rag doll. 

_Tatsuo! _His brain screamed in turn.

Alec felt himself start gasping and choking, his eyes rolling to the back of his head…

….

_  
ANGEL, HE..HE WAS BURNING…_

_AND – THIS AIR! HE COULDN’T BREATHE ---_

_Choking, choking. Something wet...tasted NASTY! He spit it out onto the ground_...

It looked..._red._

_...Was that blood on the ground? He was...spitting up..blood??!_

_...._

_...spots starting to cloud his vision and consciousness..._

_..._

_...NO!!_

_…N-_

_….N---_

_…_

_Darkness..._

_..._

_....._

_*****************_

Magnus, or whoever he was now, with fire in his eyes, and an impassive look, stared at Tatsuo on the ground, shaking his head. 

“Pity,” he stated. “I could have used you.”

Then his eyes fell upon the Nephilim, who was now seizing wildly and gasping, like a fish out of water -- as if the very air was being sucked out from him. Blood was on the side of his mouth, and on the ground. HIs skin also appeared to be burned, from the heat blast he had directed at the young warlock.

He appeared to be fighting for his life, for awhile, clutching at the sands, clutching at his throat. Staring blankly in the figure’s direction…

Crying, “_Magnus, Magnus….heeeeelp…”_ in a choked up voice, fighting to catch his breath. Spitting out blood, n between breaths. Choking on blood and the lack of air.

And that rune on his hand -- that rune was flickering extremely wildly now. _UNSTABLE…_

The impassive figure just watched, slightly bored. But he had to see this whole thing through…

Slowly at first, then with an increased pace, he started feeling his skin erupt. He looked down, red scales were starting to cover his arms and he could feel it on his face as well. He smiled. He was manifesting, more than in days past.

It was _about_ time.

HIs eyes fell upon the struggling Nephilim again. 

_Damn this one was much more hardy than he had realized._

“I underestimated you,” he said, with a tinge of sad amusement. “Magnus really did infuse a lot of magic into you…”

He looked down at his own hand. The rune he shared with the Nephilim – it had flickered, then brightened as if lit up by fire – then suddenly disappeared.

The same happened to the rune on the Nephilim’s hand. The rune was now burnt out. He did notice the ring still faintly glow. But that was of no signiifcance to him….

And that’s when things _really_ started to spiral -- The Nephilim’s movements started slowing down, even as his hands continued to grasp at his throat, his eyes bugging out, the gold disappearing from his eyes, back to hazel…his mouth was stil moving, but no sounds were coming out....

...and then with one last huff, he just completely _collapsed. _

There he lay, _motionless. Unresponsive. _

HIs lips were bluish, his skin very pale, his face contorted as if in pain -- and his eyes were closed.

“Good riddance,” he stated. He sighed, as if exasperated. 

“Hmm,” the impassive figure stated darkly. “Well, that was interesting. _ Now_, time to set things right.”

Moving his hands in a flourish, a fire portal appeared in front of him. HIs eyes blazed similarly. Tut-tutting, he took one last look at both figures on the ground, shrugged, and stepped through. 

As the fire portal closed, something flew out from it, something small and glinting silver, landing on the red sands with a soft _plop!~._

_..._

_..._

Soon the grounds were quiet again. 

Meanwhile, the two individuals on the ground, still lay motionless, their condition uncertain.

_…not that anyone else knew what had happened._

_Or cared, at that moment._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..I'm sorry. =-(
> 
> Chapter 12 to come soon!


	12. Uprooted...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One manages to overcome getting attacked AND ends up saving the other from death, but both end up at a severe disadvantage.
> 
> Then... 
> 
> At the most inopportune moment, they face their _worst_ nightmare imaginable...
> 
> ***Warnings: Compromised/Dark Magnus, Transformation, OOC characters, Dubcon, Mind Control, Heavy Angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read all warnings and tags! Thank you!

Something was_ tingling_... Then rough grainy bits scratching across sensitive skin like rough sandpaper --

Certainly _NOT_ the most comfortable thing to feel, by far...

Almost like his skin had been – _burnt_ \--

_Burnt?_ Tatsuo's brain thought. His eyes flew open...That heat flare! Which had knocked him senseless!

Slowly, his mind played back images -- of _Magnus_ \-- 

_(…HAD THAT EVEN BEEN MAGNUS?! With those fiery soulless eyes?!)_

Sending out whatever that magic was, hitting him straight on, despite best attempts to deflect it...? 

Even now, he was having trouble reconciling facts.

_His brother had attacked him._

With that thought alone – _his heart began to tear and bleed…_

_STOP IT, _he thought, gritting his teeth.

Somehow, somewhere deep down, he _KNEW _that had not been Magnus who did that to him –

… but if it wasn’t Magnus...

then…_WHO WAS THAT --_

_Who had been speaking, in his brother’s body?_

When Magnus had been addressing him, he had practically looked _through_ him, as it he was of no importance. Now, up until the point where he had been welcomed into Magnus and Alec’s fold, he was used to feeling invisible. He hadn't even cared, after awhile. It was just how his life has been...

But now that they had welcomed him, and he was used to nothing but love -- between them -- the way Magnus had just dismissed him had made him feel _lower than dirt…_.

He closed his eyes briefly, to rid himself of the feeling. He needed to focus ---

_His brain scrambled, with images of what had happened just as Alec had turned to ask Magnus how he was doing..._

_Wait._

_Alexander had then been HIT ---_

_His heart stopped._

His next complete coherent thought was – _WHERE WAS ALEXANDER??!_

He managed to lift his head from the sand he had landed facedown upon, wincing from the slight pain which still ebbed throughout – _that had been quite the hit!_

A few feet ahead, half-buried in red sands, he spied the shock of dark hair and the prone, unmoving figure, his face facedown in the sand, with his arm and hand exposed. The ring on the fourth finger was still flickering, _slightly_ \--

And then, a few feet away from the figure, was a circle of silver half hidden in the sands. Magnus’s ring…

Tatsuo’s heart dropped.

He suddenly felt his eyes flare up, as his fingers tingled with magic. The ring suddenly flew out of the sand, and into his palm. 

He just stared at it. 

Then his attention shifted again – back to the figure still lying motionless and half buried in red sands…

“…Alexander?” Tatsuo whispered, his voice barely audible.

He attempted to shuffle himself the few feet between them, but he ached too much. His heart started beating a bit too quickly in his chest. 

_HOW COME ALEXANDER WASN’T MOVING??! _

A pressure started building behind his eyes, and all the worst case scenarios raced through his head. 

His heart continued to accelerate, and it was erratic, beating like_ crazy _through his chest…

_Wait – didn’t Alexander have magic? Why wasn’t he awake? But – he was connected to Magnus, right? So, if Magnus was now gone…then Alexander – he --- he ---_

_Lillith. His heart --_

_OH NOOOOOOOOOO – _

_NOOOOOO ---- HE COULDN'T LOSE HIM –-!!_

_NOT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED WITH MAGNUS --_

Suddenly the pressure between Tatsuo’s eyes peaked, as the pain in his heart threatened to tear his whole being apart --

He felt beams shoot out from his eyes, and from his body, as his eyes rolled back _– _

_HOLY SHIT THE SURGE HAD NEVER BEEN THIS STRONG BEFORE –_

_Faintly he recalled Magnus’s words about emotions possibly jumpstarting his potential_

_As if he was a passive bystander, he observed what happened next – as if those flares had not come from the depths of his soul –_

_The flares surged directly toward the figure on the ground ---_

_..ALEXANDER, PLEEEEEASEEEEE ---! he screamed internally, attempting to keep his gaze focused upon the figure facedown in the sand. _

_And he prayed –_

_PRAYED…_

_Liillthidontthinkimstrongenoughbutineedtoberightnowpleaseletmymagicbestrongenough –_

_*GASP* *CHOKE*_

Tatsuo’s vision started to blur...

…_he was losing consciousness ---!_

….

….

********************

“…Tatsuo? TATSUO!” a weak voice rasped. _Something…or someone was shaking him._

Tatsuo groaned. What had just happened??! He peeked open one eye.

“Y-You saved me,” the voice said, edged with wonder.

Alec’s face loomed above him, looking worse for the wear, and his eyes were teary.

_– And…flickering between hazel and gold --_

_Alexander._

_B-But..._“H-Hazel?” Tatsuo whispered.

A sad smile appeared on Alec’s face.

“Yea,” he said, in a despondent tone of voice. “My eyes were only gold due to my connection with your brother. But, he…h-he…”

Tatsuo saw Alec’s eyes fill with tears, as he bit his lip, his voice shaking.

“He…threw me back,” Alec choked out. There has been something worse than hate in Magnus's eyes --_ it had been indifference, as if he no longer mattered..._

He raised his hand to his mouth, feeling around. He could feel the caked surface of blood on his lips that he had choked out, right before he lost consciousness.

A tear slipped out from one of his eyes.

“**_Alexander_,”** Tatsuo said. That made Alec’s eyes focus upon him. 

Lillith, Alec looked _devastated._

_“_Something’s happened to him,” Tatsuo whispered. “That wasn’t him. You know that, right?”

Alec’s eyes flew down to his hand, the one with the Alliance Rune – well, whatever was left of it. It was now, black, as Magnus’s absence would have severed the connection. 

And yet…it was flickering, still. But, how --?

And how...how was he _still_ \-- alive??

Suddenly Alec started coughing, uncontrollably, his heart pounding in his chest.

Tatsuo’s eyes widened in alarm. Almost instantaneously, he felt his eyes flare up, a surge of magic shooting through him, directly at Alec.

Alec’s eyes widened as the magic rushed at him. It surrounded him, and he felt the nurturing and caring – that was as part of _Tatsuo_ as it was -- _Magnus._

_LOVE…_

Somehow, he suddenly felt – _stronger_. _Much better._

His mouth dropped open. 

“Uh, what was _that_?” Alec managed to ask. “And…how is my rune still flickering, even without Magnus here?”

Tatsuo’s shoulders slumped. Alec _was _looking better, after this magical infusion. _Thank goodness._

_Lillith. If he had lost Alexander_… 

And just with the thought of that, he felt his insides surge up again. He took a deep breath. _Calm down!_ _He’s okay!_ he commanded himself, slightly irritated.

“I-I don’t know,” he confessed. “When I first came to, after all of that, I saw you on the ground, motionless, and my whole body just _– reacted_.” 

His eyes fell upon the ring on Alec’s finger, which was still active. “Maybe you were still protected to a small extent by that ring?” he asked.

He opened his hand, Magnus’s ring in the center of his palm. “This was on the ground a few feet away from you…” He trailed off, as Alec’s face started to register a whole slew of mixed emotions.

Alec looked down at it. The ring, a duplicate of his -- that Magnus had given them both -- when they had become engaged. The flood of memories from that moment flooded through him.

_“Alexander Gideon Lightwood…will you marry me?”_

_“...only if you’ll marry me too…”_

_…_

_…_

_ANGEL._

_The emotions slammed into his heart, hurting like none other –_

And immediately, Alec felt like crying again.

_MAGNUS._

His soul felt like _SCREAMING. _

_SCREAMING --_

There was nothing left of his heart, as it felt like it had already bled out the moment Magnus hurled him into the sands…

Tatsuo was looking at him intently. “I’m thinking,” he said slowly, “That we should go back to the Castle –”

“But – would the Castle let me in?” Alec asked plaintively. “I was only allowed because of Magnus…”

“Well, the Castle recognizes me,” Tatsuo said confidently. “So there shouldn’t be an issue with you.”

He felt his eyes flash at Alec, instinctively.

Whoa, Alec thought, as he saw Tatsuo’s gold cat eyes brighten. Just like Magnus’s. He immediately felt a sense of relief…but he also felt a huge sense of loss again.

Thoughts of what happened just before, with Magnus hurling him to the ground, with no look of love or recognition in his eyes…

He felt absolutely _gutted…_

**“Alexander,”** Tatsuo said firmly, bringing him back to the present.

“S-Sorry,” Alec said, looking down, as he bit his lip. 

“We will get him back. We need to.” Tatsuo stated with conviction. He looked at Alec intently. “Do you trust me?”

Alec lifted his teary eyes toward him. 

Tatsuo looked so earnest and confident – what a far cry from that first day, when he was so unsure, and scared of them and everything around them…they owed so much of that to Magnus.

And they owed it to Magnus to save him. 

He owed it to Magnus to trust Tatsuo. 

And besides that, there was no one else down here whom he could trust. Or whom he could trust had a vested interest in keeping him alive and well….

“I trust you,” Alec said, his voice low. He took a deep breath, shuddering slightly_. Damn, he really needed to get it together…._ “And thank you. For everything you’ve done to help me, so far…”

Tatsuo gave him an affectionate look that was oddly similarly to one that he’d seen Magnus give tons of times. One that was a mix of caring and a “Uh, no duh,” type of sentiment. 

Alec suppressed a laugh that almost threatened to come out. He grinned instead.

Perhaps this family similarity ran much further than just the gold cat eyes --

Clearing his throat, he stated, “So, back to the Castle?” he asked.

Tatsuo nodded. “In your case, I think it would be best. We need to figure this out,” he stated.

“Okay,” Alec said hoarsely. 

Tatsuo smiled, sticking out his hand, Alec took it, and stood up on his feet. 

But as he did, his eyes fell upon Tatsuo’s fingernails. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but now Tatsuo had lacquered them black. The way Magnus had them.

HIs eyes filled with tears.

“Tatsuo,” he choked out, as he fell forward into him, clutching him tightly into a hug, as he cried.

The young warlock automatically folded him into a comforting embrace. ]

_And they both grieved._

……………………

_Meanwhile, on the other side of the fire portal, unknown region of Hell_

The King stepped out, his eyes still afire, sans slitted pupils. He looked up at the Castle, looking a lot destroyed, and dismal. The tall double doors stood before him. He blinked, and the tall double doors opened.

_Come in, Magnus, the King of Edom -- and meet your destiny,_ the voice inside his head boomed.

Blankly, he stepped forward, as if in a trance. He walked into the foyer, the floor made of granite, surrounded by giant pillars of the same material, arranged into a ring, which seemed to rise up into the sky above, with no end.

Within it, a giant glowing Pentagram, the size of the ballroom seemed imprinted into the floor. It suddenly lit up with fire as the King strode into the Ring.

In the center of the Pentagram was an imposing figure with greenish skin and a leering smile – very familiar, actually. And Lillith, who stood beside him, clad in a super tight crimson dress that left very little to the imagination.

As the King strode past the edge of the pentagram, things started to change. His height and size grew. Larger, and more imposing. And the clothing slowly fell off, piece by piece -- revealing that the transformation of the King was complete. 

He looked down at himself. In the glowing mirror to the side of him, the ghastly smile from the demon could be seen, as it crept across his face, showing his large pointy teeth, yellow cat eyes, and elongated limbs with claws at the end.

The King was covered in red scales, and his large wings emerged slowly from his back.

He looked majestic – every inch a formidable ruler of Edom.

“Ah, it’s you two,” the impassive King now growled, as he advanced toward the two. HIs flaming eyes roved over Lillith’s form, who shuddered at the King’s gaze and presence. “Hmm, it seems we have met before, my darling,” he stated, leering at Lillith.

“Oh,” Lillith gasped. “Your transformation came about a lot quicker than I expected.” She paused, inhaling sharply. “Your Majesty.” 

She couldn’t stop looking at the transformed King. He was indeed _formidable _– and she had to remind herself that it was Magnus. The larger winged demon did not remind her of Magnus at all…

_She found herself immensely drawn to him…_

But the King merely looked bored.

“Yes,” the King said in an emotionless tone of voice, “I feel so much better now…”

The imposing green figure, now not so imposing as compared to the King, stepped forward. 

“The King of Edom, I presume,” he said, in a slightly mocking tone of voice. “You know who I am. I beckoned you here. We are destined to rule Edom, with you and the Queen by your side.”

“Lucifer,” the King acknowledged. “Ah yes, among the first of the Fallen…”

"You look very impressive. It is the demonic rune, along with the forces contained within this Pentagram that give you the increased size, dexterity, cunning, and demonic attributes."

“Together, we will be invincible. We will make Edom stronger than ever. And then we will bide our time and then plan on claiming the rest of the Earth in the name of Edom and the Fallen,” Lucifer declared.

The King just stared at him, expressionless. 

“You are almost there,” Lucifer stated. “There’s already a spell in place that Lillith helped with, which will allow me into your mind, and together we can start working our plan of action together. Also, in case anything should happen to you at any time, beyond our control. --then I become the King of Edom, as we know that our motherland cannot be sustained without a ruler with our Imperial bloodline."

He stuck out his hand to the King.in offering.

Already there were black gases and geysers of fire bursting from the center of the pentagram. The King was just standing right out of it. 

Without hesitation, he stepped into the fiery pit as he took Lucifer’s offered hand.

Suddenly lightning bolts flew down from the sky, hitting all three of them with a huge _FLASH and BOOM!_ which obscured the three of them from view.

When the smoke cleared, there were only two – with the King looking like a human again, holding hands with Lillith, who seemed a bit knocked around after the blast.

She blinked a few times, looking down. She realized that her dress was now a full-blown black gown, lacy and nearly transparent. She turned to look at the King, who looked like Magnus, but his cat eyes were red, flaming, and his hair now resembled Asmodeus’s style, swept across one eye, and shoulder length. His robes were glittery red and gold, as was the rest of his outfit. On his fingers were ten rings of bloodstone, along with a small crown on his head. 

The aura around him exuded _POWER._ Like none she had ever been faced with before.

Her eyes widened, as she realized that she was at a severe disadvantage, now that Lucifer and Magnus were practically working together. Well Lucifer, controlling Magnus, that is…

She felt tingling all over her body, and in her nether regions – her heart beating wildly, as the King turned to face her…and then all of a sudden she grew lightheaded as she realized she was insanely _attracted_ to him…

_ATTRACTED TO HIS POWER…_

His cat eyes blazed, and she could not look away…

She was, in a word, _SPELLBOUND…._

Next thing both knew, they had clashed together, their mouths moving against one another, their tongues in each other’s mouths and their hands everywhere –

Eventually they pulled away from one another, still holding one another at arms length.

“Not bad,” the King stated with a tinge of amusement.

Lillith looked incensed. 

“What?” she screeched. “I could say the same for you…” She folded her arms against her chest. “Anyway I did not get into this because of _compatibility_ reasons…”

The King nodded.

“Agreed,” the King stated darkly. “We need to go and reclaim our Castle.”

Lillith looked at the King. The King totally looked like Magnus right now, but she could detect Lucifer in his voice to some extent.

“Our Castle,” she stated. It had a great ring to it. She smiled sweetly, and offered her arm. “Now we’re talking. I’ll kiss to that.”

She captured the King’s mouth with hers, and then they were kissing again.

They eventually parted once again, both gasping for breath.

“Damn,” Lillith breathed, her heart beating a mile a minute. This could be trouble. She was actually starting to feel attraction and desire for him…

Emotions and attraction were never good news – _it was always her downfall._

The King smirked, raking an eyebrow. “Having…feelings, Lillith?” he asked sardonically.

Ugh, there’s Lucifer for you, Lillith thought wryly.

“No,” she hotly denied, feeling flustered. _STOP IT LILLITH! ._ She took his arm again. “Just magick us to the Castle, alright?”

His fiery cat eyes blazed. “Of course, my dear,” he said in a dulcet tone of voice.

The King lifted a finger, and a fire portal suddenly burst into existence.

“These are sure the way to go,” Lillith murmured. Both of them stepped through.

*****

_Sometime earlier, a mile away from the Castle_

A shoddy looking portal opened, with Tatsuo and Alec falling out, arms flailing. Both hit the ground with a thud.

“Oof!” Tatsuo exclaimed, as Alec sat where he tumbled out, rubbing his head.

Tatsuo turned to look at him apologetically. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “My magic wasn’t strong enough to get us inside of the Castle.”

Alec’s eyes crinkled as he regarded Tatsuo. “But look how far you got us,” he said. “It’s amazing how much you have progressed! I mean, when you first came to us, did you ever think you would be able to make portals?”

Tatsuo shook his head. 

“Not at all,” he said in awe. 

He was still a bit shellshocked at what had just transpired. 

After they had gotten a hold of themselves and their emotions, they had both calmed down, their need to return to the Castle a sudden priority, as Tatsuo was not certain how long Alec’s residual magic would hold out. “We need to get there as soon as possible!” he declared. 

And then he sighed. “But…”

Alec had looked at him. “But, what?” he asked.

“Magnus _PORTALS_,” he stated, feeling bummed. “I can’t…_PORTAL_.” 

Suddenly he felt Alec’s arm grab his bicep firmly. “Try now,” he stated.

Tatsuo realized that Alec was trying to give him his strength…

“Alexander,” he protested weakly. “No, this isn’t necessary. You need to save your energy…”

“Well, maybe you don’t’ need too much of it. After all,” Alec reasoned, “You didn’t use any when facing off with. -- uh Magnus before, right?” 

He coughed slightly. 

He had choked upon using Magnus’s name. He did not want to burst into tears again…

“No, I didn’t. He caught me by surprise,” Tatsuo said slowly. “Hmm, well we can try…”

Tatsuo shut his eyes, and focused deeply within himself. Trying not to think of what had just happened, that he had just lost his brother. Instead, focusing on the good – that Alexander was alive, that he was here…and that Tatsuo had helped in keeping him that way…

As he felt the surge build up within him, his eyes had flared, leaving him feeling breathless and lightweight…Faintly he had seen Alec suddenly give him a hard stare, and the anxiety in his hazel eyes had propelled his magic forward, causing his hands to wave in a flourish – and VOILA! A portal.

Not one of those liquidy metal ones that Magnus could produce so effortlessly, but this one was purple and glimmering. 

Apparently it had done the job, albeit a mile short…

He blinked. Alec was looking at him, now standing -- his hand outstretched.

He then realized he was still sitting on the floor, dazed.

“Need help?” Alec asked softly.

“T-Thank you,” Tatsuo said softly, taking Alec’s hand. He allowed Alec to pull him to his feet.

“At least we aren’t too far from it,” Tatsuo said.

“Not at all,” Alec agreed. “You did great.”

“Because you’re here,” Tatsuo said. “If you hadn’t awakened –” 

His voice cracked. He couldn’t go on.

“But I did,” Alec said. “Because, of you.” 

They looked at one another intensely. “I guess, it’s just the two of us now,” Alec said.

Tatsuo swallowed hard. “He needs us,” he said solemnly.

Alec closed his eyes briefly, as emotions swirled within him –_threatened to break him_ \--- but no, he would not let them.

_They needed to be strong. For Magnus_. 

When Alec opened his eyes again, his jaw was set, and his face resolute.

“Yes,” he said. “He does.”

They continued onward toward the castle, together.

…………………….

_Sometime later_

The doors of the Castle had flung open immediately upon their arrival.

“Thank Lillith,” Tatsuo mumbled, as he had not been certain about having enough strength to open the doors if that had been required of him. _He needed rest. A lot of rest._ Making that portal had actually sapped a lot of his energy. But he hadn’t wanted to worry Alexander, so he hadn’t said anything.

He also had not been confident about the Castle recognizing him. But again, he hadn’t wanted to worry Alexander with that tidbit, so he didn’t say anything about that.

He was so glad that his hunch had been correct…

Anyway, he was glad that both of them had made it. Alec was looking a bit weary after the walk and he needed some place to rest.

Upon crossing the threshold of the Castle, the doors closed behind them. Tatsuo and Alec both slumped, falling onto the floor.

“Finally,” Alec gasped. He closed his eyes, just savoring the feel of the floor and being indoors, as opposed to the rough sands and dry winds of Edom. Being that he no longer had the full protection of magic anymore, now he could feel how caustic the atmosphere was. 

True, it wasn’t burning him – nor was he finding it hard to breathe, as how it would normally affect non-Edomai – but there was definitely a difference in how things affected him now. There was a weight upon him that he couldn’t describe, which was definitely not there before.

Sighing, Alec closed his eyes, feeling a bit more refreshed just from the coolness of the granite floor against his cheek…

He didn’t know how long they had both been lying there on the floor, in the same position. 

He realized that Tatsuo was gazing at him just then, his gold cat eyes searching as they looked him over. There was anxiety and concern in them, as Tatsuo gently probed his face with the pads of his fingers.

“You feeling alright?” he asked worriedly. “I didn’t even realize we dozed off.”

“Much better now that we are in here,” Alec said. He coughed a little bit. “Not that this was the ideal place to take a nap, but I certainly feel a bit stronger after having done so…”

“Do you think you can make it upstairs to the Sanctuary? I think you would fare better in there...” Tatsuo stated. “And I could use a long nap. But we can try portalling again. This is short distance so hopefully I have enough reserve for it.”

“Help me up,” Alec said immediately, reaching out with a hand. Tatsuo took it, and pulled Alec up. Tatsuo then started to pull his hand away, but Alec didn’t let go. 

Tatsuo looked up at him with surprise. “For strength. The portal, right?” Alec reminded him.

“Oh, right,” he said. As soon as Alec had took his hand, he had already begun feeling strength flowing through him. No sense in breaking that connection just now –

He closed his eyes again, willing it to work. Then lifted his arm and rotated his wrist.

The purple shimmery portal appeared once again.

Tatsuo breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re amazing,” he said gratefully. “What would I ever do without you, Alexander?”

The warm smile, albeit a bit wan due to his current condition, that crossed Alec’s face warmed his heart like no other. Tatsuo could totally see what his brother saw in Alec. 

He felt so bad for Alec just then. They _needed_ to get Magnus back. 

But first they needed to take care of themselves…

Tatsuo tugged on Alec’s hand, and they stepped into the portal.

This time, they stepped out – right into the Sanctuary. 

Which was as green, lush, and revitalizing as Tatsuo had hoped it would be. Magnus had spelled the Sanctuary to flourish, even in his absence. The temperature was perfect, warm enough, with the slightest breeze. He blinked at the new flowers in their midst, amidst the tall grasses in the room. Gorgeous English Ivy had crept all over the walls, entwined with vines of roses in various colors. Jasmine, passion flowers, and lavender sprigs had also popped up.

Healing flowers. 

_But, of course…_

“Magnus, you really outdone yourself,” Tatsuo murmured. He could already feel some more strength returning to him, as his magic buzzed beneath his skin.

Beside him, Alec sighed, taking in all the goodness that the flowers offered. “I feel so much better in here – already,” he said, inhaling deeply. The mixture of all the healing essences from the flowers hit all at once, sending tingles throughout his system. _He hadn’t realized he needed it that much – until now._

He realized he was also getting sleepy again. He yawned.

“Probably a side effect of the lavender,” Tatsuo noted, upon seeing that. “Your body also wants you to rest…”

Alec smiled lopsidedly. “I won’t argue with that,” he said. He lay down among the tall grasses, soothing and cool against his skin.

Tatsuo followed suit, but not before going to the bench and getting the stuffed cat toy that Magnus had given to him. He then lay down, about a foot away from Alec, hugging it to his chest.

Alec smiled, as his eyes filled with tears. He recalled the comfort that the toy had brought to him, when he had needed it. 

Oh, Magnus, he thought. He sighed, exhaling a bit shakily. 

It was still hard for him to process everything that had happened earlier. His heart hurt way too much. And Tatsuo – in his own gentle and caring way – everything about him reminded him of the goodness within Magnus. 

Ironically, with Magnus gone, Alec was also now the older one in the group – he should actually be the one taking charge of the young warlock _But here, it was Tatsuo was taking care of him._

He blinked back his tears.

Suddenly there was something soft pressed into his hands. He looked down. It was the stuffed cat, and Tatsuo was gazing at him with a soft look in his eyes.

He looked at Tatsuo questioningly.

“Here, I think you need this more than me right now,” Tatsuo said quietly, his gold cat eyes glimmering.

“H-How…” Alec asked, his mind attempting to formulate the right words. “How do you do that?” Wordlessly he stared at the stuffed cat in his hands, his fingers already caressing the soft material lightly. A warm feeling flowed through him just then, and he was grateful to Tatsuo for it.

The expression on Tatsuo’s face registered a mix of affection and amusement.

“Hush,” he said. A flush appeared across his cheeks, as his cat eyes glowed. “Get some rest.”

Alec smiled, yawning again, and hugged the cat to his chest. Beside him, Tatsuo curled up in a fetal position, and closed his eyes.

And allowed the calm, serene environment surrounding them to lull them both to sleep.

*****

**_BOOM_**!

_Suddenly it seemed like the whole Castle shook, right down to its foundations._

Alec flinched, as his eyes flew open_. _What was that?! It seemed to come from downstairs.

Simultaneously, Alec sensed something in the back of his head. Besides him, Tatsuo had also stilled, already awake. 

Slowly they turned to look at one another, wide-eyed. “Did you feel that?” Alec asked. 

Tatsuo nodded slowly. “I felt it,” he confirmed. “Also, your eyes flashed.”

Huh? “They did?” Alec asked, surprised.

“Yea,” Tatsuo said, smiling. “You must have recovered significantly…” 

Alec felt immensely relieved upon hearing that. Then the feeling tugged at the back of his mind again. Wait, so familiar as it was a…_threat--?_

_“What was that sound?” Alec repeated._

Tatsuo felt his eyes flash, once again, as he concentrated upon the origin.

Oh boy, he thought, upon recognizing the sound. _Those were the doors of the Castle flying open!_ Tatsuo’s brain realized. 

“Someone’s here,” Tatsuo stated.

“MAGNUS,” Alec stated simultaneously.

They both stared at one another_, hard._

_We need to get out of this room,_ Tatsuo’s brain thought next. 

Suddenly the door of the Sanctuary exploded at them, Tatsuo barely having enough time to grab hold of Alec, and rolling him so that Tatsuo’s back was toward the doorway. Alec’s hands had already flown over his own face, bracing for the impact. The shards of the door flew at them, hitting Tatsuo – and fortunately sparing Alec of any harm.

“Well, isn’t this cozy,”: an all too familiar voice stated, dripping with sarcasm.

It was Magnus standing there, cold and impassive, his eyes aflame, in his regal attire, crown, and undercut hairstyle. Lillith was by his side.

Hastily both Alec and Tatsuo struggled to get back up on their feet. And then suddenly found themselves unable to move, as they were surrounded by a red flare. 

Which was coming from Magnus, who had raised his hand toward them. 

_Immobilizing them._

Both Tatsuo and Alec stared at him, shocked at Magnus’s new look.

“B-Brother,” Tatsuo whispered. “You’re back.”

“You will address him as the **King**,” Lillith sniffed. She threaded her arm through the King’s, whom made no attempt to remove it.

Alec just watched the exchange, biting down hard on his lip so hard, he drew blood. He felt like screaming. 

_GET OFF MY MAN!_

The King smiled slightly. 

“I’m here to reclaim my Castle as the King of Edom,” he stated emotionlessly. He fixed his eyes on Alec, who felt an unpleasant shiver in his bones. 

“**You**,” he stated coldly, “**Have no place, here – _Nephilim_**.”

Alec winced. _OUCH…_

Tatsuo stared at the King, horrified. “He is your fiancé! And we are your_ family_, not her!” he protested.

“Oh yea?” Lillith said smugly. She stepped closer to the King, and wrapped her arms around him. Both Tatsuo and Alec’s eyes grew wide with horror, as the King turned to look at her, emotionless – yet with eyes dilated. He suddenly grabbed her and crushed their lips together. 

_Alec’s heart nearly died right then and there…. He couldn't believe Magnus was kissing someone else in front of him -- and of all individuals, it was LILLITH!!_

_The kiss seemed to last a long time, with both getting really into it. Too long, for Alec's taste._

_He wanted to die. Or to gouge his eyes out. Or both..._

_Finally they parted, and the king turned his attention back to the two, still immobilized. _

_He fixed his gaze upon Tatsuo._

"You," he stated. Tatsuo visibly flinched. "I could use you by my side...

His gaze went to Alec. "He doesn't belong here." There was no mistaking his intention.

Fuck...

Alec visibly flinched, as tears filled his eyes. 

"Magnus..." he whispered.

The King ignored him, as his focus went back to Tatsuo. Tatsuo set his jaw firm, even though his mouth trembled, and he looked the King directly in the eye.

"No. I'm not going with you. I'm staying with him," Tatsuo stated firmly.

"_NO_," Alec stated empathetically.

Without turning to him, Tatsuo threw up his hand to indicate for Alec to stay quiet. Alec, stunned by Tatsuo's quick response, was silent.

The King assessed him coolly. "Is that your final decision?" he asked.

" "Yes," Tatsuo stated firmly. However, his heart stuttered, and suddenly he felt a great sense of loss... 

"C’mon, Magnus it's us. Don't let her manipulate you..." He was aware he was pleading now. His voice was getting weak, all choked up.

"If you don't join us, then you are against the Kingdom of Edom, and shall be cast out," the King declared, as he flicked his wrist, and a giant vortex of a portal opened up before them. The suction power of this portal was beyond anything Alec has ever felt. Tatsuo's eyes also widened as he saw it. 

The King raised his hand again and suddenly they were both dangling in front of the vortex.

Terrified, Alec raised his eyes toward the King, who did not hold any emotions in his eyes. They were just empty.

"_Don't_," he pleaded, knowing it was hopeless. 

The King tilted his head and assessed him. "Parting is such sweet sorrow," he said. 

And let go.

Alec felt himself being dropped from the binding magic only to get sucked toward the center of the vortex.

_It was getting so unbearably tight, and he grew more and more lightheaded --_

.....

_…He opened his mouth to SCREAM ---_

_…._

_…_

_….PURE AGONY AND HEARTBREAK --!!!_

_…._

_SCREAMING ---!!!!!_

_..._

_...._

_...then he was gone._

_*****_

Tatsuo stared in horror as Alec got sucked into the vortex, screaming. 

His screams were like daggers being stabbed into his heart. He shut his eyes, as tears filled and overflowed over his eyelids.

_ALEXANDER!!!!_

He slowly turned to the King, who didn't even seem to bat an eyelash.

"I can't believe you did that," Tatsuo stated in anguish. "Where did you send him??!"

The King rolled his eyes." Ohh, c’mon, don't be a drama queen, " he said, dryly. " I'm not _that _much of a monster. I just sent him back where he came from... "

He fixated his glare onto Tatsuo. " If you don't join us, then you're going where he's going... "His voice was like ice. Tatsuo shivered with its intensity.

At that moment, Tatsuo’s heart felt dead. This was not the brother who had taken him in, and shown him love. 

_Magnus...was gone... _

"I love you," he said brokenly. "But I...can't join you." 

Dead silence followed his quiet declaration.

"So be it," the King replied.

He flicked a finger, and Tatsuo felt his bindings give way, and he too was sucked into the vortex, his screams reverberating and echoing throughout Edom.

The vortex closed. The King and Lillith just stood there, staring at the space where it had been.

"Well, that was scintillating,” the King observed. Beside him, Lilith snickered.

The King immediately turned to her. 

“And what,” the King boomed, “May I ask you find so amusing?”

Lillith’s eyes widened. “Eh, nothing, My King,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically meek.

The King stared at her for a moment longer, and then huffed. “Well,” he said. “Let’s get down to business, our throne awaits.”

Within minutes, a fire portal had snapped into existence, and the two were gone.

***********************

_UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME LATER…HOURS? DAYS?_

_…._

_Outside of The New York Institute_

Isabelle, having hooked arms with Simon, Clary holding hands with Jace, were filthy with ichor, but smiling from ear to ear as they walked toward the front steps of the New York Institute. Somehow Shax Demons had been playing downtown, terrorizing Mundanes in their city…but the trusty krew had easily made mincemeat of them.

Isabelle sighed happily. Ever since Alec had left for Edom with Magnus -- an occurrence she still wished never had to be -- she had become the interim Head of the Institute, as per Alec's wishes, which had been written in a formal document and given to the Clave shortly prior to the events at Alicante...

She quickly found that she actually had the knack for it, surprising everyone around her --even herself.

However, she was a warrior at heart --- so when Aline Penhallow, daughter of Consul Jia Penhallow, came by for an unofficial visit this week, and volunteered to help out, Isabelle had all too gladly acquiesced.

And thus she had been able to enjoy days -- _such as today_ \-- going on missions and being with everyone, just like in the old days... 

"That was so invigorating today," Jace stated happily, glancing at Isabelle with affection. " We've missed you. So much."

He grinned, his heterochromatic eyes gleaming as he put his arm around her. "Now, if only..."

Isabelle had felt Jace still, as he trailed off. She knew what he was going to say. _If only Alec were here. _

It had been _months_, but the wound was still fresh.

_Alec wasn't here. _

_Magnus wasn't here. _

And they... wouldn't be returning. For awhile. _Or... If ever ---_

Suddenly, Jace felt kinda funny, stopping in midstep, placing his hand on his right hip, right above his belt. HIs eyes widened. 

Clary glanced at him. This made Isabelle and Simon stop in turn too. 

Now everyone was looking at Jace questioningly.

“You alright, Jace? There’s an odd look on your face,” she said, her voice full of concern, as she touched his cheek.

Jace continued to look flummoxed. His eyes glowed gold, as he furrowed his brow.

He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair, and huffed a breath, laughing slightly. He turned to look at Clary. 

“This is going to sound crazy,” he said slowly, “But I could have sworn – I felt…”

Suddenly there was two _SONIC BOOMs in SUCCESSION – ONE, TWO! -- _ that sent everyone FLYING! ~ Jace, Clary, Isabelle, and Simon were all caught off guard, _FLUNG_ in separate directions –

Each ending up lying on their backs on the city pavement, the wind knocked out from them. _ “OOF!”_

_“BY THE ANGEL!”_ Isabelle groaned after a second, her eyes looking up at the sky, as she fought to get her bearings. “We just fought nonstop demons today, can we _EVER_ get a freaking break?”

Beside her, Simon also groaned. 

“Ugh, even as a vampire, it still hurt like crazy. What the --: he muttered, sitting up and rubbing his head.

“UH…GUYS….” 

Jace’s tone of voice, bordering on amazement and wonder, drew everyone’s attention. He was staring straight head. 

Everyone followed his gaze.

Lying on the pavement ahead of them, lay two crumpled figures, separated by a few feet. 

The figure closer to them with dark brown hair -- seemed a bit shorter but more lanky, oddly wearing a gold tunic with pants, slightly glittery, sprawled on his stomach, face down, with arms flailed out. With black lacquered nails…

_BLACK LAQUERED NAILS? _Isabelle spied those right away on the closer figure. 

Tentatively, she moved toward him. 

“M-Magnus?” she uttered hesitantly. But this was impossible! _Wasn’t he in Edom ---_

And, no, now that she got a better look at him, this was not Magnus! 

_But ---_

The one further away from them – seemed to be all limbs, his short dark hair all mussed up, and his skin dirtied. His hands were balled up in fists.

Suddenly a mournful, guttural cry filled the air. 

“Mnus,” the figure groaned, sounding utterly hopeless.

Simultaneously, a strangled cry erupted from Jace. “ALEC…?” he choked out.

Everyone stared – _HARD --_ at the taller figure on the ground_. Even Isabelle’s attention had switched to the one in question._

_ALEC?!!! _

Suddenly everyone, ran to him, their hearts beating rapidly in their chests.

“Holy shit, it IS ALEC!” Simon gasped. 

Isabelle, Clary, and Jace’s mouths all dropped open. Then instantaneously they swooped down and were checking pulse, and gently patting Alec to try to get him to wake up.

“Alec, Alec, wake up! It’s us. Alec!” they all took turns saying, trying to wake him up, yet they didn’t want to jostle him too much in case he was injured. 

_But, how was he back???_

_*********_

_DAZED. SPOTS IN FRONT OF HIS EYES. PAIN._

_ANGEL, HE HURT.SO.BADLY._

_PAINNNN...._

"_... M-Magnus?" _a soft, and so familiar voice uttered.

_OH OH OH... HEARTBREAK ---_even worse than the worst pain he was feeling right now threatened to _consume_ him --

_He couldn't even think ---_

"Mnus," he managed, choking upon the word. Uttering that name was like _choking on glass ---_

But then... 

_WAIT, WAS THAT ISABELLE??!_

_... AND JACE? _

_CLARY...? _

_EVEN SIMON. _

_SIMON --_

Suddenly it was all their voices, in the loveliest chorus he could ever imagine, as if it was a song from the Angels...

_AND THEN --_

His eyes opened.

Eight pairs of eyes, four anxious faces. Expressions full of love in their eyes. He didn't even _mind_ Simon --

_Oh, who was he kidding?_ Simon had always revered him from day one. He just wanted to give the kid a hard time --

_Wait! Someone was missing! _He blinked, as the thought of gold cat eyes flew into his head.

_"_T-Tatsuo?" he rasped, weakly.

Clary, Jace, Simon, and Isabelle looked at one another in confusion.

Alec cleared his throat. "Is he here? Tatsuo?" he managed, a bit louder.

"Tatsu--_what_?" Jace asked, looking directly at Alec. The Shadowhunters looked perplexed. 

"I'm...here," a weak, young sounding voice uttered from behind them. 

Everyone whirled around. 

That other figure who had been on the ground, with the dark hair and black lacquered nails, was now standing right there. 

Handsome. And even looking.._.regal_ in his own right.

He was glowing, a royal blue aura surrounding him, that seemed to grow in intensity, his gold cat eyes glistening as he stared at Alec. 

Isabelle inhaled sharply. "Your eyes..." Her mouth dropped open. 

_Like...Magnus? _

With those eyes, he _must_ be related to Magnus--!

Alec finally saw him -- Tatsuo standing there. And then his face broke into a huge smile.

"You're here. And you're okay," he whispered.

Blue flares were already making their way toward Alec, surrounding and enfolding him as in a gentle embrace.

"As are you," Tatsuo replied gently, "My Alexander..."

All the Shadowhunters did a double take at that. 

_WHAT? _

_Alec --- allowed someone else to call him 'Alexander'?_

Tatsuo slowly ambled closer. The Shadowhunters were all tense, but Alec didn't seem afraid.

"You're going to be okay," Tatsuo said softly.

"Thanks to you," Alec said reverently. They stared at one another.

And then.. Alec smiled. But then -- his lips started to quiver. 

And then he was just full blown _sobbing_.

Isabelle couldn't bear to see her brother like that. No longer thinking rationally, she ran to him, got down on her knees and hugged him -- tightly.

Against her -- Alec, still sobbing, finally sagged against her and accepted her embrace. 

She looked up, her eyes meeting that of a now tearful Tatsuo.

"W-Where's Magnus?" she asked hesitantly, almost afraid of hearing the answer.

A loud sob arose from within her shoulder. She pulled away slightly, to see the devastated, tear laden look on Alec's face. 

"He threw us out. He chose Edom over us," Alec choked out, sniffling. "He no longer wants us --"

He shut his eyes tightly, the tears still coming down.

"He no longer wants..._me_."

Hearing Alec's tortured whisper broke her heart.

His hands, which had been clenched into tight fists, suddenly let loose.

Then something dropped onto the ground, the circle of silver rolling for a tiny bit, before it clattered to a stop.

Isabelle stared at it -- _hard_.

_It was Magnus's ring. _

_But that was impossible. In no way -- if Magnus was in his right mind_, Isabelle's brain thought, furiously ---

Loud sobs from Alec brought her back to the situation at hand. She decided she could think about all of that later.

_Alec needed her now..._

_"_Oh, Alec," Isabelle whispered, her heart breaking for her brother.

Alec continued to sob, even more intensely now. Isabelle just held her brother even more tightly, her eyes dark with worry -- with Tatsuo crying as well, standing a few feet away.

The other Shadowhunters just looked at the three of them, all with shock upon their faces as they all remained where they were standing on the street.

_TO BE CONTINUED._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .. I'm sorry :(
> 
> More of the story to come...  
Chapter 13 next, coming soon


	13. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks have gone by, with Alec and Tatsuo having to adjust to new realities.  
Meanwhile, the King of Edom has unsettling dreams, along with a slip of consciousness, but is overcome by Lucifer and Lillith. However, unexpected contact has been made, by an unlikely source.  
Isabelle eventually enlists Catarina's help to check in on the both of them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is not beta'd, sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Warnings: Dreams, dubious consent, switching between different levels of consciousness due to mind control, dreamwalking

_Weeks later_

Isabelle was in her office, after her regular Ops meeting with Shadowhunters, and looking at a mounting stack of paperwork. She sighed. 

It had been nice having her friend Aline Penhallow take over as Head when she had been here.

Having to do paperwork for the Clave was certainly not one of the favorite aspects of the job. But Alec had placed his trust in her prior to his leaving for Edom.

And in his current state, he needed her to be effective in this position – more than ever.

She still couldn’t believe Alec was back from Edom, just like that... 

_Appearing from out of nowhere ---_

Her big brother, who had been absent for nearly 6 months, thought to spend all of eternity with his fiance, warlock Magnus Bane as they strove to keep the rift closed –

But instead, thrown back -- and with him, an unfamiliar figure, who happened to share the same gold cat eyes as Magnus -- Tatsuo, Magnus’s younger biological half-brother, a warlock in his own right --

Both of whom had been exiled/thrown out of Edom by Magnus Bane. 

Formerly the High Warlock of Brooklyn. 

Her big brother Alec’s very own _fiancé -- _after months of combating forces on both sides attempting to dismantle said relationship --

Magnus Bane. Who inadvertently – but perhaps inevitably, became the King of Edom once they had arrived there. 

And who apparently joined forces with Lillith – _of all people! – _ alienating _both_ Alec and his own little brother – without warning.

Her brows knitted together in confusion as she attempted to piece all the details together that she had gathered after speaking with Tatsuo and Alec. 

It was decided that they would stay at Magnus's loft in the interim...

Isabelle thought this would be the ideal place for them to stay, as it had been Alec’s unofficial home ever since he and Magnus got together. 

Also she thought it would be nice for Tatsuo to see how his brother lived, and to become more well acquainted with him, by becoming more familiar with the spellbooks and apothecary that Magnus kept --

So, bit by bit, Isabelle had gotten all the details of what happened, from Tatsuo. 

Alec didn't speak much since his breakdown in front of the New York Institute.

He had become quite reticent since -- not offering much in terms of answers. He was always this close to becoming inconsolable every time the subject of Magnus was brought up. 

In fact, halfway through the conversation, Alec had started stuttering, barely being able to hold onto his composure, and had asked to go to lie down for a bit.

Alec took only a few steps toward the master bedroom, before he froze, the expression on his face completely crumbling. And he fell to his knees, his head in his hands. 

Tatsuo and Isabelle quickly rushed to his side.

"I-I can't," he whispered.

Too many memories had assaulted him at all once.

Ultimately, they had brought him to one of the guest rooms. Isabelle made him some tea, and Tatsuo conjured up some lavender along with other flowers that had grown in the Sanctuary. He remembered how well those had helped them get a good night's sleep when they were in Edom. 

Sure enough, it did the trick. Alec was asleep within minutes.

However he whimpered every so often.

_It was heartbreaking._

Isabelle had looked after him worriedly, before closing the door after her. Tatsuo only sighed. Wearily they both returned to the living room. 

And they continued their conversation.

The whole thing, to Isabelle, just seemed so unreal.

To be sitting across from Tatsuo -- who didn't look like Magnus at all -- but who shared his warlock mark, and had a similar demeanor -- was certainly interesting. She still couldn't believe that Magnus even had a brother.

Well, a similar demeanor -- minus the sarcasm and sassiness. Those seemed to belong to Magnus, alone.

Tatsuo was shy, and sweet, and exceedingly polite. Isabelle also found him staring at her from time to time -- a bit long at times, to the point where she was certain he was just a bit attracted to her --

But then again, Tatsuo hadn't met many individuals prior to meeting Magnus and Alec, so it was natural that upon meeting a pretty face with a friendly personality, one might become enamored.

He was boyishly handsome though -- with his own charm -- and wouldn't have any trouble at all attracting someone, if that's what he wanted.

Anyway, Isabelle found herself being able to talk to Tatsuo quite easily.

As Tatsuo spoke about what happened, up to the moment where they were thrown into the vortex, Isabelle's eyes had gotten wider and wider with disbelief.

It was hard imagining Magnus doing something like this. And especially toward Alec and their family. 

To Isabelle, she had considered him a close friend, and she had championed his relationship with Alec from the very beginning. Here was an individual who was warm, generous, selfless, and brave – ultimately paving the way for her brother to be himself.

The two of them developed a relationship together -- that transcended all prior prejudices between Nephilim and Downworlders, proving everyone around them wrong….

_Nothing about any of this made sense._

Just watching Tatsuo’s facial expression drop upon seeing Alec cry was more than she could bear. 

This warlock, young in his years, had already been through so much. And having run into both Magnus and Alec had been his saving grace –

_Only for this to happen to him._

Well, Isabelle thought, not for the first time, Tatsuo was lucky to have Alec.

Alec ultimately became a big brother to many whom he came about – once he got to know them. It was just in his nature to be such. 

And especially for someone related to Magnus, she was sure he had taken to him immediately after they were introduced.

From what she was told, Tatsuo certainly flourished under Magnus’s tutelage. But now he needed someone else to mentor him.

Thus she had sent Catarina Loss a fire message, explaining the unfortunate circumstances, and invited her to come by the loft this evening. 

As she expected, Catarina had responded by fire message, dismayed to hear about Magnus, but happy to hear that Alec was reasonably okay given the circumstances. And a little more than about Tatsuo.

"Ooh! Can't wait to meet him," she wrote.

Isabelle grinned upon reading her reply.

She knew Catarina, being a long-time friend of Magnus’s, would love Tatsuo. 

But, on a more personal level, she wanted Catarina to check on Alec. 

From what Tatsuo had said, Alec was thrown back several feet by Magnus’s magic back in Edom. Then when Magnus had attacked Tatsuo, the rebounding magic having burned him, made him choke up blood, and completely severed his connection to Magnus via the Alliance rune that Clary had formerly drawn on both their hands shortly after their engagement.

Now the rune on Alec's left hand resembled some faded scar -- looking like a scorched burn mark, all twisted and discolored.

Isabelle noticed that Alec always avoided looking at his hand now. 

But when she did catch him glancing at it, his eyes would fill with tears.

She worried about the effects the trauma of losing Magnus had on him.

Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to have Catarina take a look. 

As it was, through Magnus’ and Alec’s relationship, everyone had come to know Catarina fairly well.

She was a nurturer if there ever was one – just so compassionate and kind, always seeking to help those in need.

And she had noticed that Catarina was always incredibly kind toward Alec, who had seen firsthand how well Magnus and Alec treated one another, as well as how Alec had treated the little warlock Madzie, upon coming across her during one of his missions.

Alec Lightwood was probably the only non-Downworlder that Madzie even trusted. They had bonded since day one. 

Madzie even proved this, when being trained by Valentine to kill Shadowhunters at the Institute, she had intentionally taken Alec out of harm’s way before finishing the job with the rest of his team. 

While that had been a horrific event, as a child, Madzie had not known any better. 

But now, Madzie currently looked up to Alec as a doting uncle. 

Alec had actually babysat Madzie for Catarina plenty of times.

Thus, Isabelle knew that Alec would at least welcome Catarina’s presence, and perhaps even allow her to look him over .

At any rate, something needed to give. 

Alec could not continue the way he had been in the last few weeks. He was barely functioning as it was, and still appeared shell-shocked about being kicked out of Edom.

_She just needed her brother back._

….

“I have someone coming tonight,” Isabelle told both Alec and Tatsuo upon walking into the guest room, once she arrived at the loft later that afternoon. Tatsuo was sitting next to Alec, and they had been quietly chatting. 

They both looked up, upon Isabelle’s arrival.

“Oh?” Tatsuo asked. “Who’s that?”

“Catarina Loss,” Isabelle replied. “She is really excited to see the two of you. But especially you, Tatsuo…”

Alec smiled faintly at the mention of Catarina, his eyes brightening. It was the first positive expression Isabelle had seen on Alec in weeks. She breathed a sigh of relief. 

Perhaps this would work out after all…

Tatsuo seemed a bit more apprehensive, which was expected. 

"This is one of Magnus's long-time friends?" he sputtered, suddenly feeling woefully inadequate. "W-What if she doesn't like me?" 

"Catarina's great," Isabelle said, trying to ease his fears. Aww he was such a softie...

She then fixated her look upon him, looking up at him under lowered lashes.

His gold cat eyes blazed, as a flush appeared high on his cheekbones.

"Well, it's not like you aren't easy to like, in all ways mentionable," she said sincerely.

“I am?” Tatsuo all but squeaked. 

_Ooh boy_, Isabelle thought, _now you’ve done it. Embarrassed the poor kid._

She was sometimes too bold for her own good. 

She took a deep breath, and then smiled at him. Slowly the skittish look in his eyes appeared to dissipate.

"I-I mean," Isabelle said hastily, making a mental note to tone things down a notch, "You shouldn't worry so much about what others think. You're so well-mannered and sweet. Catarina is a very open person. And a powerful warlock. This will be great. And then she can also put you in contact with others at the Spiral Labyrinth --"

"Spiral what?" Tatsuo was befuddled.

"Spiral Labyrinth," Isabelle repeated. “It’s like the research and headquarters facility for warlocks. At some point you will be introduced to it. But I will let Catarina tell you more about it when she comes…”

“Oh,” Tatsuo breathed. He liked the idea of having some place to belong. 

Even though things were far from ideal – and he was separated from his brother – he was suddenly glad he somehow ended up here. And so glad that his brother had such a wonderful fiancé in Alec, despite how things were at the moment. 

Deep down, he held onto the firm belief that _something_ had happened to his brother – there was no way he would have done that to them otherwise. 

From the very start, he knew that Magnus was everything that he had appeared to be – kind, magnanimous and he would do anything for his loved ones. 

And the Magnus that he had gotten to know – the brother that he had gotten to love, despite his initial apprehension -- would not have exiled both Tatsuo and Alec from Edom – if the stories they had spent all night telling him about their relationship were of any indication. 

The road to happiness for the both of them had been tumultuous, with Magnus even taking on Asmodeus to fight to get back to Alec.

There was no way Magnus would have given any of that up so readily – just for power. 

_Just to rule Edom. _

Magnus had in fact been fighting the pull of Edom since the very day he had returned.

Not knowing what really happened was killing him. 

It was _completely_ killing Alexander, who was slowly withdrawing further and further. This was not the Alexander who taken him in, taught him archery, and whom was secure in his brother’s love.

Alexander was _broken_ right now. Something needed to be done. 

He hoped this Catarina would be able to help…

As if on cue, he suddenly felt a presence arrive in the loft. “Uh I think someone’s here,” he said.

Both Isabelle and Alec turned to look at him. 

“I’ll go check,” Isabelle said, walking out of the room. 

Within the next minute, they heard Isabelle say, “Catarina! You’re here!” in a loud, cheery voice.

“Wow, I was right,” Tatsuo breathed.

“Wait,” Alec said slowly, looking at Tatsuo. “How did you _feel_ that? I didn’t think the wards were attuned to you…”

Tatsuo shrugged. “I’m not sure…but it felt like some sort of tug at my magic, and then I knew,” he said.

Wow, was Magnus’s magic_ that_ potent, that he had keyed the wards to recognize anyone he was friendly with? Or even related to? 

Or maybe it was because the magic recognized Alec, and recognized that Tatsuo was close to Alec, so it had adjusted automatically? 

_It had been a few weeks now that they were both staying in the loft –_

Before he could ponder that further, suddenly there was a benevolent presence among them.

Catarina Loss was standing in the doorway, smiling at the both of them.

“Alec,” she stated. Her voice carried both happiness and sympathy at the same time, showing that she had been clued in on what happened.

Alec’s eyes filled with tears instantly.

“C-Catarina,” he said, choking slightly. “Things went…_so wrong_.” 

Immediately Catarina had stepped forward, engulfing him in a hug. Alec savored the warm arms around him. 

It was so good to see her.

She had been one of the best things to come into his life, with his relationship with Magnus.

Tears slipped down his cheeks. _It was too easy for him to cry these days…_

“S-Sorry,” he murmured into her hair.

“Hush,” Catarina said soothingly, rubbing his back in comforting circles. “As you know, I love him too. We will get him back, don’t worry…”

There was a sigh of relief behind them. They both pulled apart slightly to look at Tatsuo, who was gazing at the both of them.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Tatsuo said. His eyes were glistening. “I need him back as well –"

Catarina smiled as she reached out for Tatsuo’s hand. “Ah,” she said. “You must be the adorable little brother that I’ve never met. It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard nothing but great things from Isabelle…”

“Ah,” Tatsuo said, blushing. 

“Well, let me get situated, we will talk more about all of this. I also want to properly introduce you to other things warlocks are privy to, along with testing out the capabilities of your magic,” Catarina said warmly. “Is that alright?”

Tatsuo nodded eagerly. “Definitely,” he said happily. "I want to get up to speed on everything."

Catarina grinned as she turned to Alec. "I love his enthusiasm!" she said. 

Alec's eyes softened as he gazed upon Tatsuo. "Yea," he said," He's the best."

Tatsuo flushed again.

Catarina gingerly sat down on the bed next to Alec.

“So,” she said intently, her eyes on Alec, “Your sister alluded to your being significantly affected by some adverse magic when Magnus blindsided you, is that right?”

Alec nodded, grimacing. “It was really bad,” he admitted. “I was nearly knocked out.”

“If you don’t mind, I just want to do a whole body scan to make sure there wasn’t any lasting injuries,” she stated. “With Tatsuo’s lineage, I’m sure it did not affect him much, but I’m more concerned for you…”

“Do you need me to step out of the room for a moment?” Tatsuo asked.

Catarina nodded. “Just for a moment, this will be quick,” she stated, citing patient/doctor confidentiality.

“Sure,” I’ll be right out here,” Tatsuo stated, getting up and walking out. As he walked out, he heard Catarina say to Alec, “So tell me exactly how you felt when the magic hit you, and where…” 

He hoped Alec didn’t have any residual damage from the magic Magnus had inflicted upon him . 

In the hallway, Isabelle was there, standing by.

“Thank you for calling her,” he said gratefully. “She seems great.”

“She is,” Isabelle said. “You guys are lucky to have her.” He hummed in assent.

Isabelle glanced at Tatsuo. “How are you doing?” she asked gently

“I’m feeling hopeful, for the first time in awhile,” Tatsuo said honestly. He felt so relieved. 

The two shared a significant glance.

*****************

Meanwhile, in Edom, in the King’s Castle – in the middle of the night…

Someone was asleep but not experiencing a good night sleep. Rather, he was restless, and it seemed like his eyes were flickering behind his closed eyelids. 

Also he was muttering incoherently, as image after image assaulted his mind ---

_*(in black and white images)*_

_“Magnus?” Alec ventured again, touching his forearm lightly._

_For some reason, this suddenly angered him. But wait, why was this angering him?_

_This was Alexander! His fiancé! His ---_

_He heard Tatsuo’s sharp intake of breath, and then his eyes clicked. _

_…Who were these two? They were **nothing** to him ---_

_“Magnus?” the Nephilim pleaded. “MAGNUS!” The Nephilim moved to grab both of Magnus’s arms –_

_Oh, no he was NOT having this, **not at ALL ---**_

_Suddenly the Nephilm was thrown back – quite hard actually –_

_He looked down, his hands were glowing Edomic red, and the Nephilim was facedown, clearly stunned and injured. _

_ Wait, he did that?!! It barely even registered…_

_“MAGNUS! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT TO ALEXANDER FOR??” HE –”_

_This young one was sure insolent. Know your place, lest you anger the King, he thought._

_“SILENCE.”_

_He heard himself speak to the young one, his voice booming. _ _The voice was somehow no longer his own. _

_“THIS IS AS FAR AS YOU GO, YOUNG ONE. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO END UP LIKE HIM, YOU BETTER JUST BE ON YOUR WAY. HE’S LOST TO YOU NOW…”_

_The young one was staring at him, and it appeared as if his eyes were watery.._

_“Magnus…” he heard him whisper in horror._

_…Wait, what did he – just do?! Why was Tatsuo staring at him, horrified. And…why was Alec facedown in the sands, and barely moving? _

_Wait…did he do that –?! NO, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE --_

_Did –_

_Suddenly red flares erupted from him, directly toward Tatsuo, who seemed paralyzed by fear. _

_Then as Tatsuo went down, Alec was hit by the red flares, his body jerking about. Then he started choking up blood, flopping on the sands like a fish out of water –_

_..NOOOOOO!!! his inner voice screamed. STOP THIS. STOP THIS! STOP ---_

** _You’re a bit more resistant than we realized,_ ** _ a darker voice threatened**. THIS WILL NOT DO. NOT AT ALL --**_

_WHATTTT –_

_Then there was a searing pain on his back, that seemed to spread in all directions --_

_SO MUCH PAINNNNN –_

_He screamed. And then realized no sound came out, as he had only screamed internally --_

_And all went black --_

_…._

_…_

**“Brother.”** _ Wait, what’s this? Was that --_

_“…T-Tatsuo?”_

**“This isn’t you. Please come back to us. We forgive you. Alexander, he forgives you. But you have to fight."**

**"We need you – _to fight_. _Please…_” **

The voice was tearful. Pleading.

The vision slowly dissolved.

The King sat up, stunned. 

_What was that? _he thought.

He looked around frantically. He – was not wearing his regular pajamas, but some red and gold ensemble...with his hair in his eyes. And, wait -- when had he magicked his hairstyle like this into an undercut style –like his father’s? 

And –

_OH WHAT THE HELL_, Lillith was in bed with him??!

Who had been awakened, and was now sitting up in bed as well, looking at him, her eyes narrowed.

He hissed when he caught sight of Lillith.

“How did you get in here?” he roared. “Get out of my castle! Where’s Alexander and Tatsu—"

On his back, something burned, fiercely. 

“Ow!” he complained. And then his eyes clicked, and his brain went blank.

Lillith let out a sigh of relief. 

“Lucifer,” she stated to no one in particular. “That was way too close.”

She leaned into an almost catatonic King of Edom, touching her lips to his. Suddenly he grabbed her with a growl, and rolled on top of her, licking into her mouth and caressing her skin. 

Lillith made sure to continue her ministrations until she was sure enough darkness was infused into him again, and then released him. 

He rolled back onto his back with a growl, his fiery eyes dilated and full of desire as he looked at her lavisciously.

“What were you saying?” Lillith asked, her voice as sickening sweet as saccharine.

“Ah, thank you,” said the King. “Yea, that was close. Apparently, the young kid can dreamwalk. I underestimated his abilities. But he is still nowhere near his potential, as I believe he did it completely by accident -- so he’s still not a complete threat to us. In fact, he may wake up, and think it was all just a complete dream. But in the meantime, we need to amp up our plans. That rift needs to be opened again, and with our combined powers we can do that…”

And as he was speaking, the soft pops started up again on the surface of his skin, his wings rolling out and emerge from his back, majestic and fierce. Lillith’s human aspect was suddenly dwarfted by his demon aspect.

Lillith’s eyes darkened upon seeing his transformation once again.

The King’s eyes settled upon Lillith, roving over her barely dressed torso, in almost a bored type of way.

“Why don’t you come over here, my King, and I can show you what I do for you,” Lillith murmured in a seductive tone, motioning with her finger in a come-hither gesture.

“Honey, that ship sailed ages ago,” the King suddenly spoke. He rolled his eyes.

Lillith’s face changed, her eyes flashing fire. “Lucifer!!” she snapped. “Grr, why did you have to come back?”

“Dominating the world is our priority, remember? Not you defiling the King of Edom!” he snapped. “But only you are able to keep infusing darkness into him, that’s why I agreed to this partnership.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, alright,” she said snidely. “Anyway I suppose I should thank you for coming back when you did. To think that I would be throwing myself, at you…”

Lucifer snorted. “Not a chance in hell,” he threw back. 

They glared at one another. 

Then the look in the King’s eyes changed. He blinked. 

“What time is it?” he asked, confused. “It seems awfully late…”

Lillith suddenly realized that Lucifer had hidden away yet again. But, alas, she was no longer in the mood anymore. It was just as well. To think about doing that with Lucifer...

She shuddered. No matter how attractive Magnus’s evolved form was to her right now, the fact that he was being partially controlled by Lucifer dampened the attraction. 

But, at least with Lucifer hidden, the King was at least somewhat tolerable. 

_Wait --_ _Did she just call -- Magnus -- tolerable? _

_Ugh, she was confusing herself right now. _

_Well, Lucifer was absolutely insufferable, without a doubt. And now, with this new alliance – where Lucifer was guaranteed as next-in-line in the event anything happened to Magnus -- it was going to his head. _

_And she was expected to endure all this nonsense from Lucifer, just to have a piece of the kingdom? UGH. _

_Imagine how Lucifer would be, if and when he did manage to claim the Realm as his own. What would happen then? _

_That had actually been an underlying fear of hers, even as they made the deal to conspire against Magnus. _

_And now, she even felt slight sympathy for Magnus being used in such a way._

_What the hell did she even sign up for??! Thoughts of her working with Magnus to overthrow Lucifer entered her mind –_

_OH, NOW SHE WAS REALLY THINKING CRAZY –_

Huffing, she realized that the King was looking at her with a confused expression.

“It is a bit late, My King. You should get back to sleep,” LIllith found herself saying, in an unpretentious tone of voice. It even sounded…_motherly._

The King looked at her, surprise evidently upon his face. His gold cat eyes assessed her for a long time. Then he shrugged.

“Uh, okay. Well, good night,” he said, as he lay down again. 

An odd feeling passed through Lillith. The King was polite, if anything. This wasn’t behavior she was accustomed to, at all. 

Feeling mixed, she also lay down, and let sleep claim her. They needed to rest, if they were going to strategize how to coordinate their demon attack upon the Earth…

That thought comforted and soothed her soul, and soon she was fast asleep.

_And the Castle was quiet once more._

****************

Tatsuo bolted upright from the couch where he was sitting. Wide-eyed, he racked his brain. 

_What…was that?!_

Call him crazy, but he just had a dream where he seemed to…_connect _with Magnus? Well, at least he thought it was Magnus – but he could still sense the darkness that had overtaken him. 

And..somehow he felt that he had gotten through to him. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did.

_But that was impossible, right?_

Of course, perhaps it was just all wishful thinking. Or maybe just a product of missing him too much. And wishing for things to be how they were again –

Wishful thinking – that this current nightmare they were in --- never happened in the first place. 

He sighed heavily. _Anyway –_

“Tatsuo…” 

He blinked. 

Isabelle was sitting across from him, looking at him strangely.

In front of them, the credits were rolling on the large screen TV in front of them

Then Tatsuo remembered, they had come in to the living room to watch a movie, while Catarina was catching up with Alec…

“W-What happened?” he asked, confused. “I fell asleep during the movie?”

“You suddenly started drifting off, during the movie,” Isabelle said. “Not that it was all that interesting. But you were murmuring, and you looked so wistful…” She reached over to lightly brush his cheek with her thumb. He did not flinch from her touch. 

His gold cat eyes shimmered as she did so. 

His eyes were beautiful, just like Magnus’s. But they also held so much sadness, and vulnerability. It brought out Isabelle’s protective side – she just wanted to take care of him…

At that moment he looked so young too -- even though he was in his twenties, like they all were. 

Isabelle couldn’t even imagine how it would be like, to be so far away from the only home he’d known.

Or to discover that he actually _did_ have family – and then to have that fall apart right in front of his eyes…

Well, as far as Isabelle was concerned, Tatsuo was practically Alec’s brother-in-law. No matter what the status between Magnus and Alec were at the moment. 

Thus, that made him _family._

He needed them. 

He needed her.

“Hey,” she said softly, tapping him on the cheek. Now, Tatsuo jumped slightly at the contact.

“Ooh, sorry, I dazed out,” he said apologetically. 

She smiled at his confusion.

“That’s okay,” she said. She hummed. “

“So it’s beyond a doubt that Catarina will take you under her wing and show you everything you need to learn in order to be a warlock. But you do know that we are family too, right?” she prodded. “Like me. So don’t be afraid to ask for anything. We are here for you.”

Tatsuo continued to gaze at her, the expression on his face, as if he couldn’t believe what she had just said to him. 

His eyes started glistening.

Her eyes flitted to his hands, noticing the black nail polish on his hands.

“Just like Magnus,” she murmured, before realizing she had said it out aloud. She saw Tatsuo wince.

She inhaled sharply. “I’m sorry, Tatsuo,” she said. “I didn’t mean –”

“No, it’s okay,” Tatsuo said, holding up a hand. “And yes, it was because of Magnus. I didn’t do any of this before him. I wouldn’t even be able to look quite like this, if I hadn’t met him. I didn’t even know how – “

“How did you all come to meet?” Isabelle asked curiously.

A stretch of time passed, as Tatsuo told Isabelle about what he endured as a young child – his mother had died giving birth to him, and then he ended up at an orphanage, but was eventually thrown out as a teenager. 

Then somehow he had run into Asmodeus, and eventually opted to serve him, if only for the slightest chance to be with his father.

Despite his heritage, no magic ever came, which frustrated Asmodeus…

“Asmodeus thought me a defect, since nothing manifested, no matter how hard he tried,” Tatsuo replied, “And thus nearly sent me away. But I begged to stay, and so he put a spell on me to chain me to him. I couldn’t even acknowledge him as Father. I had to call him, Sir. And I could never look him in the eye. And I couldn’t’ stay in the Castle. But he would allow me to come every day and to serve him in all ways possible.” 

He shrugged. “It was better than being alone and lost. But not by much…” he said diffidently.

Isabelle gasped. 

_Ugh, to have a father like Asmodeus!_

“Magnus was telling me how Asmodeus begged him to stay, and he wouldn’t,” he said. 

He gave a rueful smile.

“On some level, I was a bit envious when he told me that,” he said. "And I was incredibly shocked when I realized it was Magnus who came out of the Castle to receive me, and not Asmodeus. Not to mention that I had been released of my obligation – that the shackles to Asmodeus had been freed just a few weeks prior. I couldn’t explain it back then. But when I saw Magnus come to the door, I immediately figured that something had happened.”

“And I did a stupid thing too,” Tatsuo said ruefully, grimacing. “I looked Magnus right in the eye when he asked me who I was. As subjects to the King, we actually are not supposed to look the King in the eye.. Another King would have_ fried_ me…” 

He shrugged. 

“I guess by then, I felt like I had nothing to lose,” he said. “I was sleeping in a cave at night, and coming to serve Asmodeus during the day. He wouldn’t even let me stay in the Castle, he didn’t deem me worthy enough to do so. And besides, with all the depravity occurring day in day out, yea, the cave was a better place to be.” 

Idly, he turned to look at the hallway.

“I wonder how Alec is doing with Catarina.” he mused.

Just then, Catarina appeared in the hallway. She had a sad smile on her face. She sighed.

“Alec’s good, no visible or internal injuries,” she said. She frowned. “However, that’s not what troubles me –”

Tatsuo shut his eyes briefly. 

“It’s all mental, isn’t it…” he said, trailing off. 

Catarina nodded. 

“It’s not unusual, given what he experienced, in such a short time,” she said. 

She turned to both Tatsuo and Isabelle. 

“Just keep a close eye on him, okay?” she said, lowering her voice. “He was attempting to tell me what happened, but then he stopped talking and was exhibiting signs of having a nervous breakdown. I put a sedation spell on him, and now he is resting. I didn’t want to do it, but he seemed really bad. I don’t want him to start spiralling if he has the tendency to do so…”

Isabelle immediately stiffened, and Catarina’s eyes widened. 

So her intuitions_ had_ been correct when speaking with Alec. 

He did have those type of tendencies…

“Don’t worry, Catarina,” Isabelle said firmly. “We will make sure Alec is here, getting enough rest, and healing.”

“I will come by from time to time to check on him,” Catarina said. Then she turned to Tatsuo, who seemed to have a questioning look on his face.

“Hmm,” she mused. “You seem to want to ask me something. Well, what is it? Anything…”

“It’s going to sound stupid,” Tatsuo murmured.

“Nonsense,” Catarina said. “No such thing. You are young, and have so much to learn. Tell me, what is it?”

“Dreams,” Tatsuo blurted out. “Is it possible…to talk to someone while you are both dreaming?”

Catarina looked at him. “Why do you ask? Did you experience this recently?” she asked.

Isabelle’s eyes widened. 

“Wait…” she breathed, glancing at Tatsuo. “Is that why you woke up, looking all weirded out?”

“Yea,” Tatsuo huffed, slightly embarrassed. 

He held Catarina’s gaze.

“I fell asleep during the movie we were watching," he admitted. "And I swore I encountered Magnus in my dream. I even felt like I could speak to him. And so I did…”

Both Catarina and Isabelle’s eyes widened. 

“Well;” Catarina said after a short while. “I mean, that’s not the normal way we try to communicate with demons or those from Edom. We normally summon them using a pentagram."

She cleared her throat, and continued on, "Now your brother was the very best at doing that, given his bloodline. Now _you_ would certainly have the potential too as well but you most likely don’t have the entirety of your power at your perusal, or the experience to do so.” 

Catarina chuckled, as Tatsuo seemed to pale upon hearing her words.

“..uh, I’ll pass on that,” Tatsuo sputtered. 

That just sounded so…crazy. Pentagrams?Summoning? 

_Yeah, no thanks..._

“However,” Catarina said, a bit more seriously, “You said you got through to Magnus? How do you know it was _actually_ Magnus, and not whatever possessed him?”

“I’m not sure how I knew,” Tatsuo said. “I just got the feeling that I somehow got through to him. I did feel that the darkness was an overpowering force. But at that moment, I could_ feel_ that it was him. But then it ended abruptly.” 

His eyes filled with tears. 

_Poor Magnus,_ he thought.

Catarina assessed him silently for a moment. 

“You must have established some sort of channel between yourself and your brother,” she said. “Have you ever dreamwalked before, into his dreams, or someone else’s dreams? I mean, I’ve heard of this happening before. But it normally takes years of practice…”

Tatsuo shook his head. 

“No, I never had this experience before,” he stated. “But then again, I was never close with anyone, or realized I had a brother before. Or anyone who loved me as much as I love him ---” 

He paused. 

“And to think, wow, what if I did make a real connection with him that way –" he stated.

Then he frowned. 

“Of course,” he murmured, “With Lillith constantly next to him, the way she is now, there’s no way we would even be able to try to get through to him. She definitely seems to be able to affect him in some way…”

“Lillith?” Isabelle stated incredulously. “By the Angel, she’s involved in this? After all the trouble she caused over here, with Jonathan, which led to them going to Edom in the first place?” 

Isabelle was seething, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. 

“Seriously, if we end up on a mission down there again, let me at her, I’m going to research whatever can actually kill her, and I’m going to make sure she gets it thousandhold,” she sputtered.

_How dare Lillith encroach upon her family, yet again? She couldn’t take this ---_

Catarina put her hand on Isabelle’s forearm. She smiled empathetically.

“Trust me, I know how you feel,” she said. “But, for now, I think the best course of action would be to see if we can break whatever is trapping Magnus inside of himself right now. And I think I have an idea, which will allow us to talk to him directly, without Lillith being there.” 

She turned to Tatsuo. 

“I’m going to need your help,” she said. He looked at her curiously, which made her smile. 

“That is, if you are ready for a crash course in Summoning 101 and drawing pentagrams of course,” she stated cheekily. 

“And, don’t worry,” she added, upon seeing the panicked look upon his face. “I will do everything, I just need you there because you were able to appear to him. Maybe he is still sympathetic toward you. And that could be _everything…”_

Tatsuo didn’t even hestitate. 

“Count me in,” he said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CH 14 to come

**Author's Note:**

> Comments? Good or bad/constructive, I read them. I love knowing what readers think about a chapter or the story in general. I may also consider suggestions, so write away!
> 
> Kudos? I definitely appreciate them!
> 
> Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I promise it will be worth your while.
> 
> Big thanks to [Sabby1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabby1/pseuds/sabby1) for doing the Beta thing, much appreciated, love you!!!!


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